Women’s Under 18 Semi-final; Maree 58 Tralee Imperials 66
Maree were 2 points down at the end of the first period, 3 points behind at the half and 10 adrift after three, and yet, through sheer hard work and refusal to lie down, they brought it back to a 4-point deficit with just minutes to go, and with a bit of luck, might have pulled off the upset of the weekend. Indeed it was luck of the bad variety that ultimately ended the Maree fightback, with a controversial technical against the excellent Ailish O’Reilly. This Maree team, assembled specifically to contest the National Cup, was still improving right through to the Tralee showdown in Cork on Sunday, and it is very much a case of what might have been. Tralee were clear favourites, their squad also comprising the bulk of the their team through to the Under 20 Final. In the first period of the Under 18 game, Maree matched Tralee at both ends of the floor. In defense, Eimear Walsh and Ellen Greene were dominating their own rebounds and Caitríona Finn, Aileen Crowley and Ailish O’Reilly afforded no clear outside shots to the taller Tralee sharpshooters. Crowley’s huge three was in reply to a couple of early Tralee baskets, and she went on to hit 9 of Maree’s first-quarter 15 points. In the second, O’Reilly was almost unstoppable, drawing foul after foul, and she and Greene were good for 4 points. In the third period, Tralee went ahead further, through some punishing threes from Laura Hoffman. Maree had it all to do in the last quarter, and set about their business admirably, with the supporters of both teams going into crescendo mode. Ten from O’Reilly, 5 from Finn and a crucial basket from Walsh were all features, as was a gritty defense. Finn’s foul-out and O’Reilly’s technical finally put paid to things however, and Maree bowed out.
Maree U18 Women; Ailish O’Reilly (23), Caitríona Finn (7), Aileen Crowley (12), Sinéad Harte (1), Eimear Walsh (7), Ellen Greene (8), Fiona Shiel, Sinéad Considine, Katie Rock, Natasha Crawford (inj).
BI Womens U-18 National Cup Quarter Final
Maree : 78 (Half Time: 36)
Oblate Dynamos U18 W NC : 46 (Half Time: 20)
Top Scorers
Maree : A O'Reilly 35; A Crowley 16; C Finn 12
Oblate Dynamos U18 W NC : K moloney 19; L McNamee 8; J Doyle 5
Pool Games: 24th/25th September:
Lisburn City 21 vs Maree 49 Ballincollig 29 vs Maree 56
Maree 36 vs Mercy Coolock 47 Liffey Celtics 37 vs Maree 51
Maree were 2 points down at the end of the first period, 3 points behind at the half and 10 adrift after three, and yet, through sheer hard work and refusal to lie down, they brought it back to a 4-point deficit with just minutes to go, and with a bit of luck, might have pulled off the upset of the weekend. Indeed it was luck of the bad variety that ultimately ended the Maree fightback, with a controversial technical against the excellent Ailish O’Reilly. This Maree team, assembled specifically to contest the National Cup, was still improving right through to the Tralee showdown in Cork on Sunday, and it is very much a case of what might have been. Tralee were clear favourites, their squad also comprising the bulk of the their team through to the Under 20 Final. In the first period of the Under 18 game, Maree matched Tralee at both ends of the floor. In defense, Eimear Walsh and Ellen Greene were dominating their own rebounds and Caitríona Finn, Aileen Crowley and Ailish O’Reilly afforded no clear outside shots to the taller Tralee sharpshooters. Crowley’s huge three was in reply to a couple of early Tralee baskets, and she went on to hit 9 of Maree’s first-quarter 15 points. In the second, O’Reilly was almost unstoppable, drawing foul after foul, and she and Greene were good for 4 points. In the third period, Tralee went ahead further, through some punishing threes from Laura Hoffman. Maree had it all to do in the last quarter, and set about their business admirably, with the supporters of both teams going into crescendo mode. Ten from O’Reilly, 5 from Finn and a crucial basket from Walsh were all features, as was a gritty defense. Finn’s foul-out and O’Reilly’s technical finally put paid to things however, and Maree bowed out.
Maree U18 Women; Ailish O’Reilly (23), Caitríona Finn (7), Aileen Crowley (12), Sinéad Harte (1), Eimear Walsh (7), Ellen Greene (8), Fiona Shiel, Sinéad Considine, Katie Rock, Natasha Crawford (inj).
BI Womens U-18 National Cup Quarter Final
Maree : 78 (Half Time: 36)
Oblate Dynamos U18 W NC : 46 (Half Time: 20)
Top Scorers
Maree : A O'Reilly 35; A Crowley 16; C Finn 12
Oblate Dynamos U18 W NC : K moloney 19; L McNamee 8; J Doyle 5
Pool Games: 24th/25th September:
Lisburn City 21 vs Maree 49 Ballincollig 29 vs Maree 56
Maree 36 vs Mercy Coolock 47 Liffey Celtics 37 vs Maree 51
