Trinity Meteors and Killester will face off in the InsureMyHouse.ie Paudie O'Connor Cup final after both teams came through their semi-finals at Neptune Stadium.
The 2020 winners Killester edged Waterford Wildcats 87-77, pulling away in the fourth quarter.
Trinity Meteors, who are joint top of the MissQuote.ie Super League, had a dominant 82-60 win over DCU Mercy, helped by a 24-point and 13-rebound performance from Ireland international Dayna Finn.
Trinity Meteors, who’ve started the league season with a 9-1 record, continued their impressive form in Cork against their Dublin rivals.
It was an even opening quarter, which saw the sides level pegging at 17 points apiece. Meteors, looking to win their first Paudie O’Connor Cup title since 1996, upped the tempo in the second, Claire Melia scored eight points in the quarter, while Celena Taborn had nine points, to help drive them to an 11 point lead by the break 39-28.
DCU Mercy’s American’s Tyra Johnson and Lindsey Abed headed their offence, with 11 and 7 points respectively by the break.
Next to step up for Trinity Meteors was Finn, she started the second half brilliantly, a three point jump shot 90 seconds in, was followed up with three more layups, to stretch the Meteors lead to 18 points, 50-32. Celena Taborn closed out the quarter, when she was first to the rebound with a second to go, to make it 62-45.
DCU Mercy needed a fast start to the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance, however when Sarah Kenny landed a lovely three point jump shot from the corner to make it 67-49, a little over two minutes into the fourth, it looked ominous for Mark Ingle’s side. Melia once again delivered a virtuoso performance in Meteors’ victory, she closed out with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists.
Chyna Latimer scored 34 points to help 2020 champions Killester defeat Waterford Wildcats 87-77 in a thrilling contest at Neptune Stadium.
It was an incredibly tight game with eight lead changes. Killester edged the opening quarter-23-21, but by half-time it was Waterford Wildcats in front, a big three from Kate Hickey was followed by a Sarah Hickey layup to make it 45-39, before a Latimer three with 50 seconds to go in the quarter reduced the deficit and it would be 46-42 to Wildcats by the break.
The Hickey sisters to the fore, Sarah (11 points) and Kate (10), while their American Karli Seay had 11 at half-time, and Seay would finish with 27.
Sarah Deegan was another who had a fine game, she had a nice shotclock buzzer beater 2-point jump shot to put Wildcats ahead 54-47 with five and a half minutes to go. But it was 56-56 with three minutes to go, after three points from Ieva Bagdanaviciene for Killester.
By the time Michelle Clarke landed a three with a little over a minute to go, it was the Dublin club who led by five, 61-56. But it was a one-point game by the end of the quarter, Killester ahead by 61-60.
Killester were in foul trouble in the last quarter, Channell Williams - who finished the game with 19 points - had already picked up her fourth midway through the third, while Chyna Latimer also went onto four fouls in the second minute of last quarter.
It was a one-point game six minutes to go, when Jasmine Walker landed a three to trail 67-66, however Killester went on a nine point run in the next four minutes to open up a ten point advantage, the impressive Latimer’s two making it 76-66.
That run was ended when Kate Hickey picked up a foul and landed two of her three throws. Wildcats picked up the offensive rebound after the missed free and Seay drained a long-range three, to trail 76-71 with 1’54 to go.
Killester kept Waterford Wildcats at arm's length, despite Seay and Walker hitting a couple of three’s in the closing stages, Mark Grennell’s side winning by 10 points, 87-77.
The Paudie O’Connor Cup final will be played on Sunday 22 January at the National Basketball Arena.
