THE headline basketball fixture of the Christmas period came in the University of Galway Sports Arena where Titans and Maree renewed rivalries in a derby that, while short on scoring fluency, delivered all the intensity and late drama expected of the occasion.

Elsewhere, Maigh Cuilinn huffed and puffed but never found the spark required to trouble Killarney Lakers. In the Women’s National League, the University of Galway Mystics slipped to a seventh defeat in eight as their difficult run continued.

Men’s Division One

Titans   66

Maree   65

The moment that will be remembered arrived in the final 30 seconds. With Maree leading 65-64 and looking to close it out, Titans’ long-time underage standout and Irish international Fortune Igbokwe produced a defining senior moment – blocking John Burke’s potential game-clinching effort at the rim.

Seconds later, on the resulting possession, Umar Rachid secured an offensive rebound before Matthew Sweeney found Igbokwe inside, who finished through contact for the winning basket with 16 seconds left. Maree’s last-second attempt – a deep three from Isaiah Taylor – never looked set to drop, sealing a dramatic derby win for the city side.

It was a scrappy encounter throughout, reflective of the fixture’s rivalry rather than either side’s offensive capability. Titans took the first quarter 22-16, before Maree edged the second 18-17 to leave it tight at the half.

The visitors again shaded the third 16-13 and held the lead deep into the fourth, but the final possessions belonged to Titans, who claimed the last period 14-15 and, with it, the game.

Titans scorers: Fortune Igbokwe 21, Umar Rachid 15, Joseph Coughlan 11, Declan Gbingie 8, Matthew Sweeney 4, Luke Herrick 3, Nathan Gbingie 2, Viktor Tashev 2.

Maree scorers: Isaiah Taylor 26, Justin Wickham 12, Rinor Dragusha 10, John Burke 9, Huw Bevan 6, Cillian Cannon 2, Daniel Oyeleye, Alan Burke.

Pictured: The Galway Mystics team which played against Templeogue in the Women’s Division One League recently. Back row, left to right: Alex Evans (Assistant Coach), Emma Glavin, Emma O’Connor, Kara McCleane, Olivia Sasse, Georgia Munnelly, Paul Langan (Head Coach). Front row: Menetra Yennari, Claire Hickey, Laura Lopez Morera.