The Pat Duffy Men's National Cup Final headlines the action at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght today.
Killester will look to de-throne UCC Demons, with tip-off at 8 o'clock this evening.
The Women's Division One National Cup decider sees iSecure Swords Thunder take on Cavan Eagles from quarter past 1.
At half 3, ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers do battle with Limerick Celtics in the President's National Cup final.
Rebel Wheelers claimed their sixth IWA National Cup title in a row, following a 81-46 win over Ballybrack Bulls on Friday night at the National Basketball Arena.
The Cork side had a host of top performers, chief among them was Adam Drummond who claimed the MVP with 27 points, while Dylan McCarthy and Conor Coughlan finished with 13 and 12 points respectively.
Rebel Wheelers led 18-13 at the end of the first quarter, but that gap was narrowed to just three following Jonathan Hayes’ layup under the basket early in the second quarter for Ballybrack Bulls, who were playing in their fourth IWA National Cup final. Drummond rattled off seven points in succession to put Rebel Wheelers 25-15 up two and a half minutes into the second quarter and they’d lead 43-27 by half-time, Drummond with a 17-point haul at that stage.
Rebel Wheelers continued where they left off in the third quarter, and McCarthy’s basket stretched their advantage to 23 points, 50-27 four minutes in. Hayes, who scored 20 points in the game, snapped that scoring run and would help cut the deficit to 19, 57-38 in the closing stages of the quarter, only for McCarthy to convert in the dying seconds to hand Rebel Wheelers a 59-38 lead by the end of the third.
Rebel Wheelers didn’t relent, captain Jack Quinn got them off the mark in the fourth and they’d outscore their opponents 22-8 in the final quarter, Paul Ryan got the last basket of the game, to wrap up a 81-46 victory.
MVP Adam Drummond, who was asked how it felt to complete six-in-a-row, said: “Unbelievable, I think when we won last year I took a couple of days off and went straight back into it. I wouldn’t say it gets repetitive or anything, we take each moment as we can, but as a team we’re three, four nights a week. I moved up to Dublin this year, so I am only able to make one or two nights, but the lads allowed me to do that, I had to make a sacrifice, they still wanted me to play with them, so it was an easy decision. I think we train as much as a Super League team, so what you put in is what you get out and we’re getting out a lot.”
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 18-13, Q2: 25-14 Q3: 16-11, Q4: 22-8
Game Scores:
Q1: 18-13, Q2: 43-27, Q3: 59-38, Q4: 81-46
Rebel Wheelers:
Jack Quinn (4), Paul Ryan (9), Oisin O’Connor (0), Alex Hennebry (4), Derek Hegarty (8), TJ Lotty (0), Conor Simpson (0), Darragh O’Regan (4), Cathal Lynch (0), Conor Coughlan (12), Dylan McCarthy (13), Adam Drummond (27).
Ballybrack Bulls:
Oran Spain (8), Ian Glendon (2), Ciaran Pollard (DNP), Valene Ryan (4), Sean McCullagh (0), Jonathan Hayes (20), Paul Donnelly (DNP), Jason Ryan (4), Hugh Smith (0), Gabriella van Rooyen (DNP), Jackson Shannon Cole (8), Graham Merrigan (0)
Ongar Chasers win first National Cup title, with NICC Women’s National Cup success
Ongar Chasers defeated two-time defending champions Liffey Celtics 52-46 to claim the NICC Women’s National Cup, in a nail-biting encounter at the National Basketball Arena on Friday night. It is a first National Cup title for the club, which was only formed in 2012.
16-year-old Ezi Onwodi picked up the game MVP, she proved crucial in the final quarter - scoring eight points - to get Ongar Chasers over the line in a tight contest.
It was a slow start to this contest, Eva Lurascu’s jump shot put Ongar Chasers 9-3 to the good with a little over three minutes to to go in the quarter, but Liffey Celtics closed that gap to three by the end of the quarter, as they trailed 11-8.
A pair of free throws by Claudia Canuto Sanchez for Liffey Celtics brought the game level at 15-15 three minutes in. But Ongar Chasers were back up by four not long afterwards, helped by a nice fadeaway putback off the board from Danica Stankovic, to put them 19-15 up.
A layup, followed by a free throw, for Sanchez had Liffey Celtics 22-19 in front - Sanchez had 10 points at that stage. But a three from Stankovic in the final minute of the quarter made it 22-22 at the break.
Back-to-back threes from Stankovic put Ongar Chasers 30-24 up midway through the third quarter. But Liffey Celtics turned the game in their favour with baskets from Caoimhe and Niamh Masterson either side of free throws by Sanchez and Aoife Tiernan to see them 32-30 ahead. But in a game that flip-flopped, Onwodi followed her free throw with a three and the Dublin side had a 34-32 advantage, but it would be level pegging, 34-34, by the end of the quarter.
Ongar Chasers, cheered on by their vocal support, edged their way 38-34 up in the opening minute and a half of the fourth quarter. Liffey Celtics lost the influential Caoimhe Masterson to injury after that, but managed to bring it level once more, before Ongar Chaser re-established a four-point lead, 42-38, following Stankovic’s two-point jump shot midway through the quarter.
Liffey Celtics didn’t panic, a big three from Shauna Homan had them 44-42 up with 3’40 to go. The twists and turns continued, Onwadi’s layup nudged Ongar Chasers 48-46 up with 1’48 remaining. A driving layup from Onwadi edged Ongar further in front, 50-46, with 54 seconds to go and they’d eventually win it 51-46.
MVP Onwodi said: “I am so excited, it was such an exciting game, just a great win after a lot of hard work. We’ve been training the whole week to prepare for this and I think it was important, because it brought us into the game with a lot of confidence and we knew how to attack, how to play defence and it was really great for our mental.”
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 11-8, Q2: 11-14 Q3: 12-12, Q4: 17-12
Game Scores:
Q1: 11-8, Q2: 22-22, Q3: 34-34, Q4: 51-46
Ongar Chasers:
Katie Murphy (5), Anna Morrison (0), Danica Stankovic (13), Ana Postarnakova (4), Milica Stankovic (3), Niamh Kelly (0), Kellie Mae Murphy (2), Eva Lurascu (5), Carmen Torres Puerto (6), Ezi Onwodi (14).
Liffey Celtics:
Ada Bowler (DNP), Alanah Mullins (DNP), Shauna Homan (6), Caoimhe Masterson (9), Claudia Canuto Sanchez (12), Aoife Tiernan (5), Niamh Masterson (7), Sarah Bradley (DNP), Karen Mealey (2), Ailbhe Harrington (5), Shauna Curran (0), Rachel O’Carroll (DNP).
