As was the case last year, Pyrobel Killester and Team Montenotte Hotel will contest the Women’s National Cup final after coming through their respective semi-finals at The Mardyke Arena in Cork on Saturday.
Killester defeated Maxol WIT Wildcats 72-65. A closely-contested first quarter saw fantastic scoring at either end, with Mel Stone netting a well-taken jump shot to keep the scoring ticking over for Wildcats. At the other end though, Aisling Sullivan was driving the attack forward and Raeshel Contreras found her range to net a three.
A Cathy Kavanagh jump shot got the scoring underway in the second, while Jazmen Boone strode the length of the court to send Wildcats into the lead. This was extended by Stone but a brilliant move down the baseline by Contreras at the other end tied the game at 23 apiece. Boone again responded in style, but Ali Maguire put the pressure on to force a turnover and the crowd roared as Killester were back on the attack once more.
Two perfectly crafted jump shots from Helena Rohan seemed to give Wildcats some breathing room, but fantastic rebounding from Anna Pupin and a three-pointer from Contreras made it game on yet again. Michelle Clarke jumped high to hit the target to send Killester into the dressing room at half-time 36-31 ahead.
The third quarter was an absolute thriller as Wildcats hit their stride once more. Rohan got the scoring off to a great start, and despite baskets from Aoibheann Byrne at the other end and pressure from Katie Fox, Wildcats took control and enjoyed a 14-0 run to put them into the lead.
However, Killester got back into the game when Aine McDonnell finally interrupted the scoring spree, netting two baskets in quick succession off the fast break. Contreras added a three and as the buzzer sounded, Wildcats had just a one-point lead to bring them into the last quarter.
It was all action once more in the fourth, with Killester’s Anna Pupin taking a lay-up in the opening seconds, before Boone responded for Wildcats and it was end-to-end action as each side vied for supremacy.
Control of the scoreboard changed with every attack, as one point remained between the sides for most of the closing quarter, and just as Killester took the lead, Boone was on hand to give Wildcats a one point advantage once more.
Kavanagh soon increased their lead to three, but it wouldn’t be for long as Sullivan was again on hand to bring her side back into it. Tensions mounted as the clock ticked down and Killester’s Rebecca Nagle hit an impressive three-pointer, followed by two points from Pupin to open up a six-point gap with just over two minutes to go.
Nobody in the crowd was willing to write off Wildcats just yet though and a determined Kavanagh quickly pulled back two for her side. However, Killester had the edge and they weren’t going to let it go, as points from Sullivan and Boone sent them further into the lead and ultimately, to a seven-point point victory and their second final in as many years.
Speaking afterwards, Killester head coach Karl Kilbride was relieved to hear the final buzzer.
“We’re very happy, the performance could have been better, but we kept the pace up at the end and it paid off.”
Team Montenotte will be heading back to defend their title after defeating Meteors 77-61.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the reigning champions though, as Meteors dominated proceedings in the second quarter, enjoying a 10-0 run and taking a slender two-point lead into the dressing room at half-time.
However, the champions showed their character and grit as the game ticked on. Gráinne Dwyer got the scoring underway with a three-pointer from the top of the key and a fast-paced and high-scoring first quarter followed, with good shooting from Jade Daly of Meteors and Claire Rockall for Montenotte.
Rockall added two more off the fast break, while Marie Breen created a touch of magic with the ball, somehow picking out Chantell Alford to send the Cork team further ahead. Then Katie O’Flaherty skipped inside for two for Meteors to close the quarter 20-17 in favour of Glanmire.
It was the second quarter when Meteors really came into their own, with McGuinness getting their period of dominance underway with two baskets in quick succession. Despite an impressive performance from Aine McKenna at the other end, it was all Meteors as Kate O’Flaherty rose high for three, with more points added shortly after by Jade Daly and McGuinness.
iona Meany extended their lead before McKenna finally broke their scoring run with a full court drive. A somewhat rattled Montenotte regrouped in the time out and soon began working their way back from the 10-point deficit, with Dwyer, Alford and McKenna all adding scores to leave them trailing by just two at half-time, 37-35.
Glanmire kept the pressure on as the second half got underway, and a dazzling run up the court from Dwyer saw her tee up McKenna close to the base line for two points to edge the Cork side back in front by the smallest of margins.
Seconds later, Dwyer again pulled a rebound out of the clouds, and powered the ball up court to Rockall who found Alford, and she made no hesitation in slotting home yet another three-pointer.
Monetenotte were beginning to take control of proceedings, with Dwyer and Rockall intuitively knowing how to find each other, while Alford was dominating the scoreboard. Despite good shooting from O’Flaherty at the other end, Haley Lenihan came off the bench for Glanmire and immediately made an impression, hitting two in a row straight away, and added her third basket of the day when Alford picked her out from the opposite end of the court.
Indeed, the latter added another three to send Montenotte into a ten-point lead, as momentum continued to stay with Cork and the game ticked into the final quarter.
Despite hard work from Fiona Meany, Leer and Daly for Meteors, it just wasn’t enough, as Aine McKenna sailed home another three, and Dwyer, Alford and Rockall all added scores to run out five-point winners.
