It was a tale of two contrasting semi-finals as Killester and Liffey Celtics secured their spots in this year's Paudie O’Connor National Cup decider.
The Leixlip-based Celtics made their intentions clear from the opening buzzer against the Waterford Wildcats last weekend as they raced into a double-digit lead inside the first quarter.
And Karl Kilbride’s side never looked back as they maintained a healthy lead throughout with captain Áine O'Connor leading by example with 20 points, while Sorcha Tiernan proved strong in defence and contributed 14 points in the 25-point victory.
Reigning Super League champions, Killester, on the other hand, made hard work of their attritional victory over Kerry outfit St Paul’s, eventually securing a one-point victory at Neptune Stadium.
The Dublin side found themselves nine points in arrears during the first half, however, a strong start to the third quarter saw them hit 12 points unanswered to edge in front.
But it remained tight throughout the second half and it all came down to two Samantha Haiby free throws in the final moments to secure the 70-69 victory for Mark Grennell’s side.
It’s a clean slate, however, for Sunday’s final at the National Basketball Arena as two of the country's top teams meet for the mid-season silverware.
Liffey Celtics currently lead the way in the Super League, while Killester are in third place, however, it is the Dublin club who enjoy the head-to-head bragging rights after coming out on top in their incredibly close league clash earlier this season.
Killester also proved victorious when the two sides met in last season’s Super League play-off to land the title, romping to a 90-62 victory at the National Basketball Arena in March.
Liffey Celtics, however, are a team going through a renaissance of sorts as they have maintained their form from last season and have only lost twice during this campaign, with a solitary basket the difference in both defeats.
And they are primed to return to winning ways of their recent history when they landed back-to-back Super Leagues in 2018 and 2019 – they also secured the Paudie O’Connor Cup in that dominant 2019 season.
Sorcha Tiernan was part of that all-winning team, and alongside fellow Ireland international O’Connor, they are the only players remaining in the current Liffey Celtics squad.
"I think we have to play with the intensity that we showed in the semi-finals, where we were the imposers and set the tempo of the game," said Tiernan, speaking to RTÉ Sport ahead of the final.
"I think we did a really good job of that and we have to do the same in the final if we want to come out on top.
"Last year we came away from the semi-final hurt and disappointed and we didn’t want to experience that feeling again, so it was just about making the extra effort and we did that from start to finish, so we need more of that this week."
Tiernan believes that the side’s resurgence has been based on club consistency, which has boosted the confidence levels to get the better of their rivals in this evening’s decider.
"We have had consistency, coaching wise, with Karl over the last few years, and I think that has been key," said Tiernan.
"There is an element of you keep doing what you are doing, but there is also an element of this is an occasion that doesn’t necessarily come around that frequently, and you have to enjoy it," she added, when asked about the team’s approach to the Tallaght decider.
"Obviously you are going to work really, really hard to try to win the game, but you also want to enjoy the occasion, and be able to remember the occasion.
"I’m not going to say we are going to approach it like any other game, because it’s not, and we are going to approach it with the mindset that we are going to win it, but we want to try to enjoy the build-up and try to enjoy the game if we can."
Killester stalwart Michelle Clarke is expecting another tough test between the two teams and predicts a well-matched final, with two equally impressive sides going head-to-head.
"I think it’s just going to be a great game of basketball," said Clarke. "There’s a lot of talent to display, there is a depth to both teams and both teams have a lot of experience, so I think it is going to be a really good spectacle for both clubs and the neutral supporter.
"I hope it’s not more of the same with how the first 40 minutes went but if the end result is the same, that would be amazing," added Clarke, when asked about the previous game between the teams, which was decided in overtime.
"We went in 18 points down in that game and clawed our way back and took our first lead in the game with 16 and a half seconds left in overtime, so you couldn’t get much closer to the end of the game to pull that one out of the bag.
"So hopefully that won’t happen as we don’t want to be crawling up the hill, but hopefully it will be just as competitive."
Clarke attributes the team's run of recent success and this year’s form to the continuity that her side have enjoyed in recent years, however, she is also quick to admit that inconsistencies have led to some below-par performances throughout the current campaign.
"Last week we had a dogfight, which it always is when you’re playing that relentless Kerry team, you know you are going to be worked for 40 minutes," she said.
"It can only give us confidence that we really did not play our best basketball but we still managed to find a way to get the win over the line.
"It was pure grit and determination to come away with the win at the end, so we can pat ourselves on the back and be proud of the fight we put up because it is easy to put the heads down – they were fantastic out of the blocks – and the fact that we didn’t lose the head and stayed with it."
And now heading into the cup final, Clarke is hoping that combination of quality and cohesion will help Killester to produce the perfect performance to land the trophy, to make it a double cause for celebration following the men’s victory on Saturday night, becoming the first club to record that feat in the competition's history.
"We haven’t had that stellar performance yet, as we have been grinding out wins, so it would be nice for our big players all contributing to a big performance," said Clarke.
"Last year we had a really big performances in the final so hopefully that will stand to us and it will be more of the same on Sunday.
"You never want to peak too early in the season, and we certainly haven’t peaked yet, so no better time to do it than in a cup final."
