Lead Image Credit: Michelle LaGrue Sports Photography
FloMAX Liffey Celtics and Pyrobel Killester have now moved six points clear at the top of the MissQuote.ie Super League following respective wins over University of Galway Mystics (83-49) and DCU Mercy (98-64), while in the InsureMyVan.ie Super League, Griffith College Éanna carded a 79-62 victory over South Conference leaders, Maree.
Wins for both FloMAX Liffey Celtics and Pyrobel Killester this weekend saw the two sides remain deadlocked at the top of the MissQuote.ie Super League table, as this season’s title race now heads into its final weekend.
The former returned home from the Kingfisher Sports Arena on Sunday with a convincing 83-49 victory over relegation-threatened, University of Galway Mystics, Alexandra Navarette and Tianna Ayulo bringing a total of 39 points and 24 rebounds to table for the Leixlip side.
“We knew Galway were a threat from the three-point line and they banked a couple of early threes, but I thought we dominated the offensive boards” said FloMAX Liffey Celtics head coach, Karl Kilbride.
“Tianna and Allie, in particular, did a great job of putting them under pressure and we’re delighted with the win” he added
Jiselle Thomas served up 26 points, while Michelle Clarke drained five of her eight attempts from the three-point line on her way to a total of 22 as Pyrobel Killester recorded a comprehensive 98-64 triumph at home against DCU Mercy on Friday night.
Hannah Thornton and Brynley Fitzgerald, between them, put up 47 points for the visitors, but even that was not enough to prevent the joint MissQuote.ie Super League leaders from storming to victory, helped no end by the 20 points and 13 rebounds that Keowa Walters contributed to their cause.
SETU Waterford Wildcats gave themselves a timely boost in the approach to the final weekend of the regular season after they beat Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell 84-69 in Mercy Gym on Saturday.
Jade Compton put up 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the hosts, while Sarah Hickey contributed a further 16 points and 11 rebounds, as Waterford inflicted, on their Cork rivals, a fourth defeat in their last five league outings.
Ulster University preserved their hopes of Champions Trophy qualification after they recorded a big 107-90 victory over fellow contenders, Catalyst Fr. Mathews in Jordanstown Sports Village on Saturday afternoon.
The homeside put up a huge 69 points in the first and third quarters combined, as Ance Aizsila and Trinity Oliver accounted for 43 points between them, with the latter also soaking up 12 rebounds against a Fr. Mathews side, for whom Grainne Dwyer emerged top scorer on 32.
The Address UCC Glanmire denied Portlaoise Panthers the pleasure of signing off on their 2023/24 Super League campaign with a win, as they saw off their Laois opponents 85-69 in the Mardyke Arena on Sunday.
Alyssa Velles finished up top scorer for Portlaoise on 29 points, while Jessica Fressle bagged 16, along with 11 rebounds, but Cheah Whitsitt and Yasriyyah Wazweerud proved just as effective for the homeside with a combined 45 points and 23 rebounds.
Griffith College Éanna took another big scalp on the home stretch to the InsureMyVan.ie Super League regular season after they beat South Conference leaders, Maree 79-62 in Coláiste Éanna on Saturday night.
While Tahmir Gadsden did register 24 points for the visitors, Éanna’s defence managed to shackle a number of Maree’s other big hitters, as they, themselves, finished with five players on double figures, including Sean Jenkins (14 points) and Kristijan Andabaca (13).
“It was a very good defensive performance and a well-earned win against a talented Maree team” said Griffith College Éanna head coach, Darren McGovern.
Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU capitalised on that reversal for Maree to draw level with their Galway rivals at the top of the South Conference following their 80-64 victory over Ulster University in Jordanstown Sports Village.
The visitors both started and ended this fixture with big runs as Andre Nation and Shawndale Jones Jr each hit 19 points, which more than countered the combined 30 that Eric Anderson and Nathaniel Shafer put up for Ulster.
The battle for the one remaining play-off spot up for grabs in the InsureMyVan.ie Super League will go down to the final day of the regular season when UCC Demons welcome Flexachem KCYMS to the Mardyke Arena.
An 86-73 win away to Bright St. Vincent’s on Saturday saw Flexachem close in on the play-offs, but their 87-61 reversal at the hands of Pyrobel Killester in Killorglin Sports Complex, coupled with UCC Demons’ 83-72 victory at home to Ulster University the following day, means that it’s all to play for on St Patrick’s Day.
InsureMyVan.ie Super League leaders, Belfast Star had run out 101-84 winners over UCC Demons in Newforge Sports Complex on Saturday.
De Ondre Jackson turned in another colossal performance for the table toppers, amassing 45 points and 10 rebounds as both sides emerged from this battle with four players on double figures.
Despite a 28-point haul for Elijah Weaver, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors still shipped a fourth successive defeat when they made the trip to Pyrobel Killester, losing out to their Dublin rivals 90-76.
Kason Harrell drained all eight of his attempts from the free-throw line as he top scored on 30 points for the hosts, while Troy Simmons contributed a further 23.
EJ Sligo All-Stars carded their biggest total of the season so far after they emerged 126-98 winners over Energywise Ireland Neptune in Mercy College.
Chrishon Briggs netted a huge 35 points for the hosts, while Tom Child and Giorgi Tvalabeishvili combined for 44, as Sligo saw off a Neptune outfit, who themselves had four players finishing on double digits, among them Derek Murphy on 30.
A Vernon Jackson deuce with eight seconds remaining proved the difference between Templeogue and Maigh Cuilinn, as the Dubliners edged a dramatic 66-64 win in the National Basketball Arena.
That bucket took Jackson’s total to 28, every bit of which was needed to help pip the Galway side, for whom Grant Olsson and Conor Dickerson chalked up a total of 34 points and 24 rebounds.
St Paul’s Killarney can look forward to a return to the top ranks of Irish women’s basketball next season after they recorded a 71-48 victory over iSecure Swords Thunder in Saturday’s MissQuote.ie Division One Final in the National Basketball Arena. Sofia Paska and Khiarica Rasheed delivered a total of 41 points for the Kerry side, while Lorraine Scanlon was immense under the boards with 15 rebounds.
In the InsureMyVan.ie Division One, a huge three-point buzzer beater by Francisco Dias saw Drogheda Wolves snatch a dramatic 94-93 victory at home against Kavanagh’s Portlaoise Panthers in Saturday night’s North Conference top-of-the-table clash.
UCD Marian’s 112-77 win at home to Team NorthWest means there are now three teams tied at the top of that group.
Despite a 94-74 reversal at the hands of Limerick Sport Eagles in the UL Arena, Scotts Lakers Killarney still earned a play-off berth, thanks to a 93-74 defeat for their closest rivals, SETU Waterford Vikings at home against Killarney Cougars in Carrickpherish Hall.
Joels Dublin Lions pipped Moy Tolka Rovers 86-84 in their Dublin derby in Tolka Rovers Sports Complex, while Mater Private Malahide ran out 87-77 winners over Titans BC in Malahide Community School and Limerick Celtics turned in a big third-quarter display to outgun SETU Carlow 107-99 in Barrow Centre.
Results
MissQuote.ie Super League
Friday March 8th
Pyrobel Killester 98 - 64 DCU Mercy
Saturday March 9th
Ulster University 107 - 90 Catalyst Fr. Mathews
SETU Waterford Wildcats 84 - 69 Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell
Sunday March 10th
The Address UCC Glanmire 85 - 69 Portlaoise Panthers
University of Galway Mystics 49 - 83 FloMAX Liffey Celtics
InsureMyVan.ie Super League
Saturday March 9th
Belfast Star 101 - 84 UCC Demons
Ulster University 64 - 80 Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU
Griffith College Éanna 79 - 62 Maree
Templeogue 66 - 64 Maigh Cuilinn
Bright St. Vincent’s 73 - 86 Flexachem KCYMS
EJ Sligo All-Stars 126 - 98 Energywise Ireland Neptune
Pyrobel Killester 90 - 76 Garvey’s Tralee Warriors
Sunday March 10th
UCC Demons 83 - 72 Ulster University
Flexachem KCYMS 61 - 87 Pyrobel Killester
MissQuote.ie Division One Final
Saturday March 9th
St. Paul’s Killarney 71 - 48 iSecure Swords Thunder
InsureMyVan.ie Division One
Saturday March 9th
Moy Tolka Rovers 84 - 86 Joels Dublin Lions
UCD Marian 112 - 77 Team NorthWest
Mater Private Malahide 87 - 77 Titans BC
SETU Waterford Vikings 74 - 93 Killarney Cougars
Limerick Sport Eagles 94 - 74 Scotts Lakers Killarney
Drogheda Wolves 94 - 93 Kavanagh’s Portlaoise Panthers
Sunday March 10th
SETU Carlow 99 - 107 Limerick Celtics
Fixtures
InsureMyVan.ie Super League
Friday March 15th
Energywise Ireland Neptune vs Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU, Neptune Stadium, 2000
Saturday March 16th
Belfast Star vs Griffith College Éanna, Newforge Sports Complex, 1830
Bright St. Vincent’s vs Templeogue, St. Vincent’s CBS, 1900
Pyrobel Killester vs Maree, IWA, 1930
EJ Sligo All-Stars vs Ulster University, Mercy College, 1930
Maigh Cuilinn vs Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, Kingfisher Sports Arena, 1930
Sunday March 17th
UCC Demons vs Flexachem KCYMS, Mardyke Arena, 1330
MissQuote.ie Super League
Saturday, March 16th
DCU Mercy vs The Address UCC Glanmire, DCU Arena, 1500
University of Galway Mystics vs SETU Waterford Wildcats, Kingfisher Sports Arena, 1600
Pyrobel Killester vs Trinity Meteors, IWA, 1645
FloMAX Liffey Celtics vs Ulster University, Leixlip Amenities, 1900
Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell vs Catalyst Fr. Mathews, Gurranabraher Credit Union Arena, 1930
Monday, March 18th
Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell vs Pyrobel Killester, Gurranabraher Credit Union Arena, 1400
FloMAX Liffey Celtics vs SETU Waterford Wildcats, Leixlip Amenities, 1500
Trinity Meteors vs Catalyst Fr. Mathews, Coláiste Íosagáin, 1530
InsureMyVan.ie Division One
Saturday March 16th
Moy Tolka Rovers vs Team NorthWest, Tolka Rovers Sports Complex, 1800
Mater Private Malahide vs Joels Dublin Lions, Malahide Community School, 1800
UCD Marian vs Kavanagh’s Portlaoise Panthers, UCD Sports Centre, 1900
Killarney Cougars vs Drogheda Wolves, Presentation Gym, 1900
Limerick Sport Eagles vs Titans BC, UL Arena, 1900
Limerick Celtics vs SETU Waterford Vikings, Crescent College, 1915
Scotts Lakers Killarney vs SETU Carlow, Killarney Sports & Leisure Centre, 1930
MissQuote.ie Division One League Trophy (Quarter-Finals)
Friday, March 15th
Limerick Celtics vs McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles, Crescent College Dooradoyle, 2000
Saturday, March 16th
iSecure Swords Thunder vs Moy Tolka Rovers, ALSAA, 1300
St. Paul’s Killarney vs Abbey Seals Dublin Lions (TBC)
Templeogue vs Limerick Sport Huskies (TBC)
