The Address UCC Glanmire 92-82 Singleton Supervalu Brunell
The Address UCC Glanmire are into the Paudie O'Connor Cup final of the InsureMyHouse.ie National Cup after beating local rivals Singleton Supervalu Brunell 92-82 in the opening game of semi-finals weekend in Cork.
Carrie Shephard scored 22 points for the victors, while Aine McKenna had 18 points and Claire Melia impressed with 13 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
Singleton Supervalu Brunell raced to an early lead, a Simone O’Shea three point jump shot made it 12-2 with a little over two and a half minutes gone.
But The Address UCC Glanmire worked themselves back into the contest, led by the impressive Áine McKenna. The Irish international picked up 10 points in the opening quarter and there would be just a single point between the sides by the end of the quarter, 23-22 in favour of The Address UCC Glanmire.
Mark Scannell’s side started the second quarter with back-to-back threes, from Mia Furlong and Carrie Shephard, to open up a 29-22 advantage. A Casey Grace two-point jump made it a 10-point game, 36-26, with just under two two minutes gone in the quarter.
Kwanza Murray kept the scoreboard ticking over for Singleton Supervalu Brunell with eight points in the second quarter, including a brilliant long-range three, which made it 38-33 at the midway point.
But The Address UCC Glanmire would go into the half-time break 50-42 in front, helped by Miriam Loughrey’s two point layup at the end.
Singleton Supervalu got themselves back in to the contest thanks to a nine point run in the third quarter, started by Simone O’Shea’s big three pointer with a little over five and a half minutes gone.
Edel Thornton was her usual instrumental self, she drove to the basket and shipped a heavy fall, but dusted herself off to land one of her two free throws. It was followed shortly afterwards by a layup from the Ireland co-captain to make it 58-57 with four minutes to go. Singleton Supervalu would go level not long afterwards thanks to a Shannon Ryan free throw.
However The Address UCC Glanmire re-established control and led 64-60 by the end of the quarter. That advantage was nine points after a fine steal and layup by Carrie Shephard, to make it 69-60 early in the fourth. Katie Walsh responded almost immediately with a three from the top of the three point line.
Kwanza Murray attacked the basket and landed a brilliant layup as she fell to the floor, picking up a foul in the process and added the extras to make it 74-69 with three minutes gone.
But every time that Singleton Supervalu Brunell got within touching distance The Address UCC Glanmire pulled away, two three’s from Claire Melia stretched their lead to 86-73 with two minutes to go.
It was a deficit that Tim O’Halloran’s side simply couldn’t reel back in, with The Address UCC Glanmire winning 92-82.
