Max Cooper hopes Belfast Star’s 86-65 All Ireland Super League victory over Templeogue in the De La Salle College gym on Sunday will give them some real momentum for the rest of the 2024/25 campaign.
After an uneventful first-half which saw Star lead 37-35, Cooper and Max Richardson, who finished on 16 and 15 points respectively, were at the heart of the Belfast men taking a grip on the game.
American Maurice Jones also had 16 and Star captain Conor Quinn scored 15 as Star bounced back from a heartbreaking 103-100 loss in overtime to Eanna 24 hours earlier in the Newforge Centre.
Cooper has been one of Star’s most consistent players in what has been a tough start to the 2024/25 season for a side that were title challengers in 2023/24, and he hopes they can kick on from this convincing win.
“We really turned it around in the second-half. It’s been a tough time for the club, but the guys have kept a really good mindset, and you saw that with the way we took control of the game,” said Cooper, who has been impressed with new American Darweshi Hunter.
“We have two weeks until our next game, and I think that will give us more time to work on things and get settled with Darweshi in the team.
“I think we can move on and have a very good rest of the season. Darweshi has come in and he is already making a difference, giving other guys looks at the basket.
“We really needed this win and we showed that we have the energy and character to win the second game of a double-header, which was important.”
The final three minutes of the third quarter proved to be the crucial period of the game.
Having edged ahead with baskets from Richardson, Hunter and Oisin Kerlin, Star stunned the Dublin side with their dominance, which included a great steal by Conor Ryan that led to a three-pointer from Conor Quinn.
Further baskets from Hunter and Kerlin helped Star into a 66-51 lead at the end of the quarter.
Templeogue fought back at the start of the fourth quarter, and within two minutes, the gap had been reduced to nine points.
After the time-out, Cooper returned to the court and had an immediate impact, extending Star’s lead, and Jones came up with a three-pointer to once more put the Belfast men in total control.
Three-pointers from American Hunter and Aidan Quinn made sure that Star enjoyed their biggest victory of the 2024/25 season while also pushing Templeogue to the bottom of the table.