Aidan Quinn says Belfast Star have to raise their game defensively to become more consistent after a 99-90 defeat away to St Vincent’s in the All-Ireland Super League on Saturday night.
Star defeated the Dublin side at Newforge the weekend before but, after a promising start, Vincent’s made them pay for what Quinn felt were too many defensive errors.
“Personally and collectively as a team, we have to be a lot better defensively. I thought at times we were too soft. We need to become nastier in defence,” commented Quinn, Star’s stand-in captain in the absence of twin brother Conor.
“Playing a team two weekends running is never easy, but in this League, you can’t turn up and play 70 per cent and expect to win. Credit to Vincent’s, they stuck it to us, but we have to be up for that kind of challenge.
“There were just too many times they seemed to be in their comfort zone and we were not the aggressor, we were sitting back. So, there is plenty to work on in training this weekend.”
American Darweshi Hunter was Star’s MVP, finishing with 30 points and eight rebounds. Deondre Jackson had 22 points, while Max Cooper hit 17 points and nine rebounds. Vincent’s’ Jaron Thames was once again their top scorer with 29 points.
Hunter had 14 points in the first quarter, though it was a three-pointer from Paddy McGaharan that made sure they had a 32-27 lead going into the second.
Star kept their noses in front until two minutes before the break when Giorgi Tvalabeishvili nudged Vincent’s ahead. Jackson tied the sides at 47-all with 90 seconds left in the half, but Thames and Sam Henderson gave the hosts a 53-50 half-time lead.
Vincent’s maintained their advantage, going into the final quarter with a 72-66 lead. Star didn’t score for the first two minutes until Hunter came up with a basket; by that stage, Vincent’s had opened up a 10-point lead.
Jackson brought Star to within five with a three-point play with three minutes remaining before Thames and Tvalabeishvili restored their advantage.
Star were then given real hope of victory when baskets in quick succession from Hunter and Cooper got them to within four points with less than two minutes on the clock.
But Star’s offence went cold just at the wrong time and Thames came up with the crucial baskets to give Vincent’s the win.