Dundalk Ravens made history as they defeated defending champions Limerick Celtics 71-63 after overtime to win the U20 Men’s National Cup at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.
It is a first National Cup title for the Dundalk club which was founded almost twenty years ago by Fu and Triona Faapito in 2007. Tríona, who is originally from Dundalk, and Fu, who is from Samoa, met each other while living and studying in California.
They both knew that their passion and experience for both basketball and youth would be well utilised in creating and sustaining a club. With the support of their local community sports centre in Muirhevnamór where they both worked at the time, they were able to create a junior club and enter teams into the NEBB league for the first time.
From small beginnings where the club had just a handful of players the Dundalk Ravens now boast over two hundred players and twelve teams including the victorious U20 men’s team which is coached by Triona and Fu’s son Elijah
When asked how he felt having led the U20’s to victory, Elijah was quick to pay tribute to his parents for all their hard work which has led to this All-Ireland success.
“We’re all just over the moon. It’s been a long time coming and we have worked so very hard to get to this point but this is what my parents dreamed about back in 2007 when they started the club. It’s amazing what they have built and Sunday’s National Cup win is testament to all their hard work up to this point. The club has grown from just a handful of players and one team to hundreds of players and multiple teams and it’s only going to get bigger,” stated Elijah.
Dundalk Ravens victory was unexpected given the fact the team have zero international players and they were up against a Limerick Celtic side who had won the title the previous year and a team who had never lost a match together playing through the various age groups in the National Cup. The Ravens however, had showed their mettle in the semi-finals when they mounted an astonishing comeback against Galway side Titans, turning around a 25 point deficit to book their place in the final.
Ravens coach Elijah Faapito who plays in the National League with Tolka Rovers admits his preparation for the final became an obsession as he left no stone unturned to ensure his players were prepared for the biggest game of their lives. The 21-year old spent hours watching tape in the week leading up to the final
“Every night I’d be on the laptop for hours scouting opposition players and looking at their patterns of play while my girlfriend was on the sofa watching Love Island,” he laughs. “It literally became an obsession for me and I was waking up early thinking about the final and tossing and turning in bed at night going over different strategies in my head. I have to say I was quietly confident going into the final even though we were the underdogs and up against a fantastic side.
“We have all worked so hard and we have all grown up in the club with the mentality to work harder than everybody else and having that dog in you which ensures you never give up. The players were behind for large portions of the final but they never ever gave up and got their rewards. I honestly couldn’t be prouder of them and they are a credit to themselves and the club.
“We have a senior men’s team who play in the North East League but next season we are entering the Basketball Ireland National Development League which is a stepping stone to where we want to be which is playing in the National League. I currently play in the National League with Tolks Rovers but it’s my dream to play with my hometown club and I’m confident that that will happen sooner rather than later,” stated Elijah.
The match on Sunday was a real nailbiter with defending champions Limerick Celtics going in at half-time with the narrowest of leads with the scoreboard reading 35-34 in their favour. Limerick temporarily opened up a useful looking six point lead in the third quarter but Dundalk Ravens finished the quarter strongly thanks to baskets from Gustas Pocevicius and Mascuud Haji to trail 49-48 heading into the final quarter.
Limerick once again took the lead in the final quarter but the Ravens never say die spirit saw them level the game late on thanks to a floater from Pocevicius who made it 60-60 at full time.
Dundalk Ravens took control of proceedings in overtime with all of those hard nights of training paying off as they outlasted the champions to ultimately cruise to victory with Conor Mac Criosta helping himself to a pair of free throws at the finish, to wrap up a well deserved71-63 win.
Game Scores:
Q1: 21-19, Q2: 35-34, Q3: 49-48, Q4: 60-60, OT: 63-71
Dundalk Ravens:
Denis Daly (0), Franciszek Chmielecki (11), Mascuud Haji (20), Hugo Winston (0), Conor Mac Criosta (5), Gustas Pocevicius (25), Colm Hackett (10).