FloMAX Liffey Celtics beat Killester 65-53 to secure their second Paudie O'Connor National Cup title at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.
The Kildare’s outfit's strength in depth proved telling, illustrated by Hazel Finn coming off the bench to claim the game MVP - her energetic performance at both ends seeing her pick up the award after 13 points and eight rebounds.
Liffey Celtics built an early 5-0 advantage in the contest after Alexandra Navarette’s layup. But Ieva Bagdanviciene’s three reduced the deficit to one in the fourth minute.
Michelle Clarke’s driving layup kickstarted a seven-point run for Killester, as they went 14-9 up with two minutes to go in the first quarter, but it was a one-point game, 14-13, by the end of the it after Finn’s two-point jump shot.
Liffey Celtic’s Irish internationals clicked into gear in the second quarter, a Rachel Huisjdens two-point jump shot and a Finn layup nudged the County Kidare outfit 17-14 in front early on.
Next up was Sorcha Tiernan, who landed a three with three minutes gone, to put Karl Kilbride's side 20-16 up. Tiernan was also linking up well with Huisjdens, she picked her out in the paint and a layup from the former DCU Mercy player had Liffey Celtics 26-18 ahead at the quarter midpoint.
Killester needed a response, captain Michelle Clarke landed from the three point line with three minutes to go to trail 30-21, only for Kate O’Sullivan to respond in kind seconds later. A Tiernan jump shot and it was 35-21 to Liffey Celtics with 1.15 left in the quarter. Killester’s American Samantha Haiby, was largely kept quiet in the first half, her layup in the closing seconds cut the deficit to ten, 35-25, at half-time.
A pair of Navarette layups and two Tiernan jump shots and it was a 19-point lead, 44-25, in the third minute, only for Haiby to snap that sequence. A three from Navarette brought Liffey Celtics up to 50, leading 50-30 in the fourth minute.
Killester picked up the next score thanks to Sarah Courtney’s three, but their comeback hopes suffered a major blow when they lost Bagdanviciene, the Lithuanian rolled her ankle and had to be carried off.
Finn's three with two minutes to go in third quarter had Liffey Celtics 56-33 up. Kelly Bracken and Clarke exchanged threes in closing stages, but it was another Huisjden’s layup which finished off the scoring in the quarter, leaving Liffey Celtics with a commanding 25-point lead at 63-38.
Killester needed points, but it took until the fourth minute of the fourth quarter to get a score, Hannah Thornton landing a three, it was followed shortly afterwards by a corner three by Haiby, 63-44.
Killester continued to rally, another Haiby three made it a 15-point game, 65-50, with 3.24 remaining.
Killester kept plugging away, Clarke was next to dispatch a a three, but it was to be Liffey Celtics’ day.
