Both Limerick men’s teams have now been eliminated by Moy Tolka Rovers in consecutive rounds.
Limerick Sport Eagles 103 – 112 Moy Tolka Rovers
UL Arena was home to one of the games of the season as the National League Playoff semi-final between Limerick Sport Eagles and Moy Tolka Rovers took place on Wednesday evening.
The first quarter was a neck and neck affair until Tolka Rovers inched away to a six-point lead in the last minutes, a lead they held throughout the game.
Hot shooting from Eagles, especially American guard Sam Finley, saw the Limerick side manage to cut the deficit in the second quarter. Tolka Rovers attempted to pull away again but only managed to take a seven-point lead into halftime despite leading by 11.
The Dublin side didn’t falter however and kept their foot on the peddle in the third quarter. Impressive scoring from both Jaja Davis and Dewan White saw them notch twenty points between them and propelled Tolka Rovers to a seventeen-point lead.
Tolka Rovers seemed poised for victory, but the fourth quarter was unquestionably Keelan Coats time as the Eagle’s guard knocked down 20 of his 32 points. A valiant fight back from Eagles put them within two points of their opponents, but it was not to be. Late game free throws and a technical foul on Eagles Coach Matt Hall sealed the game for Tolka Rovers, finishing 103-112.
After knocking out Limerick Celtics (100-101) in the quarter-final and now Limerick Sport Eagles in the semi-final (103-112), Tolka Rovers will face UCD Marian this Saturday for the National League Title and a shot at Promotion to the Super League for the 2024/25 season.
Scorers
Limerick Sport Eagles
Sam Finley – 43 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists
Keelan Coats – 32 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Moy Tolka Rovers
Jaja Davis- 43 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists
Dewan White – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists
