Utility Trust St. Paul’s Killarney were beaten in their Paudie O’Connor Women’s National Cup semi-final.
They lost to Killester, 70-69 in Neptune Stadium, Cork.
Killester, the 2022/23 champions will now play FloMAX Liffey Celtics in the final, the Kildare outfit defeated SETU Waterford Wildcats 78-53 earlier on Saturday.
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's coach James Fleming
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Paris McCarthy and Michelle Clarke of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Denise Dunlea and Leilani Turner of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Alex Wittinger and Hannah Thornton of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Lorraine Scanlon and Samantha Haiby of Killester
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A long range three from Diop – her third three – put Utility Trust St. Paul’s 35-29 up with four minutes gone in the second quarter. A pair of Lorraine Scanlon free throws made it a nine point game to St. Paul’s with two minutes to go, 44-35. A Samantha Haiby three in the final minute helped reduce the deficit, however it was Utility Trust St. Paul’s 45-39 ahead at half-time
Killester started the third quarter with a 12-point run to turn the game in their favour. Strother got things underway, it was followed by a neat layup from Haiby and three’s from Ieva Bagdanviciene and Michelle Clarke. The run was concluded by a Hannah Thornton layup, the Dublin club 51-45 ahead three minutes in. Utility Trust St. Paul’s responded with four points from Alexandra Wittinger and Kerr to make it 51-49. It was Utility Trust St. Paul’s with the slenderest of leads by the end of the third quarter, Kerr landed her third from the three-point line and a basket from Wittinger established a 56-55 advantage
.
Killester again began the fourth quarter quickly, Strother’s three had them 62-58 up less than two minutes in. But this topsy-turvy game was back level at 62 apiece thanks to pair of free throws each from Diop and Scanlon.
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Gracen Kerr and Desting Strother of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Alex Wittinger and Ieva Bagdanaviciene of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Paris McCarthy and Ali Connolly of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Lorraine Scanlon and Hannah Thornton of Killester
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Alex Witting with Desting Strother and Michelle Clarke of Killester
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There remained nothing between the sides, another Kerr three and it was 67 each with four minutes to go. In a game of fine margins a pair of Haiby free throws with a minute to go were to prove to be the winning points, Utility Trust St. Paul’s had possession with 13 seconds remaining, however a Bagdanviciene turnover sealed a dramatic win for Killester.
A relieved Killester captain Michelle Clarke said: “I hope we never repeat that performance again, but I just think it shows the grit and determination and the experience we have in those big games. We needed to get over the line and happily we did it, by the skin of our teeth.”
The Paudie O’Connor Cup final will take place at 1730 on Sunday 19th January at the National Basketball Arena and will be broadcast live on TG4.
Enda Walshe reports
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 27-25, Q2: 18-14 Q3: 11-16, Q4: 13-15
Game Scores:
Q1: 27-25, Q2: 45-39, Q3: 56-55, Q4: 69-70
Utility Trust St. Paul’s:
Paris McCarthy (0), Leah McMahon (DNP), Rheanne O’Shea (DNP), Lynn Jones (0), Gracen Kerr (20), Denise Dunlea (6), Lorraine Scanlon (6), Siofra O’Shea (0), Alexandra Wittinger (24), Meabh Barry (DNP), Mathilde Diop (13).
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Gracen Kerr dejected
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Clodagh O’Sullivan dejected
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
Killester’s Michelle Clarke, Ieva Bagdanaviciene and Samantha Haiby celebrate at the final buzzer
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Alex Wittinger and Ieva Bagdanaviciene of Killester
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
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Utility Trust St. Paul's vs Killester
St. Paul's Gracen Kerr and Desting Strother of Killester
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Killester:
Destiny Strother (11), Michelle Clarke (5), Samantha Haiby (20), Leilani Turner (5), Sarah Courtney (0), Bree Shelley (4), Ali Connolly (0), Robyn Malone (DNP), Ieva Bagdanviciene (12), Hannah Thornton (13), Maeve O’Seaghdha (0), Sara Fernandez Lopez (DNP).
FloMAX Liffey Celtics are into their first Paudie O’Connor Cup final since their 2018/19 title success, following a 78-53 victory over SETU Waterford Wildcats at Neptune Stadium on Saturday. Captain Áine O’Connor led by example with 20 points, with fellow Irish internationals Sorcha Tiernan picking up 14 points and eight rebounds for the victors.
A pair of layups for O’Connor and Tiernan gave FloMAX Liffey Celtics a fast start and they were up by 13, 16-3, following a three from O’Connor just before the midpoint in the opening quarter. SETU Waterford Wildcats got themselves back into it, Sarah Hickey was key to it, grabbing nine points, as they trailed 25-15 at the end of the first.
A Kate Hickey three two minutes into the second quarter was met with a loud cheer from the Wildcats supporters, the deficit now nine, 29-20. Sarah Hickey and Kate O’Flaherty exchanged three’s with three minutes to go, the Kildare outfit 38-28 in front. O’Connor brought her tally to 16 points late on in the quarter, as FloMAX Liffey Celtics led 44-28. American Chelsea Cain reduced the deficit going into the break, 44-30.
The gap was 20 points midway through the third following Eboni Williams’ basket, FloMAX Liffey Celtics 57-37 up. SETU Waterford Wildcats responded with a four point run through a pair of Kate Hickey free throws and Helena Rohan’s basket. However the gap would return to 20, 61-41 at the end of the third.
Eboni Williams was prominent for Liffey Celtics in the fourth quarter, a pair of layups followed by a shotclock-beating three helped them to a 70-47 lead with 4’47 to go. Williams would end with 11 points and 13 rebounds. O’Connor’s layup brought her personal tally to a game-high 20 after that. Liffey Celtics successfully negotiated the closing stages to win 78-53
FloMAX Liffey Celtics captain O’Connor said: “It’s great, we were on the other side of the result last year, so we wanted to come back this year, put down a marker from the start and not leave anything behind, we couldn’t come away with regrets this year, so delighted for next week.”
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 25-15, Q2: 19- 15 Q3: 17-11, Q4: 17-12
Game Scores:
Q1: 25-15, Q2: 44-30, Q3: 61-41, Q4: 78-53
FloMAX Liffey Celtics:
Kelly Bracken (2), Kate O’Flaherty (3), Ciara Bracken (DNP), Eboni Williams (11), Rachel Huijsdens (2), Kate O’Sullivan (0), Clara Boyce (0), Sorcha Tiernan (14), Hazel Finn (12), Alexandra Navarette (14), Aine O’Connor (20).
SETU Waterford Wildcats:
Isabelle Daniels (0), Kate Hickey (13), Orla Dullaghan (0), Helena Rohan (4), Sarah Hickey (16), Aoife Brett (0), Ashia McCalla (6), Ardiana Shallci (0), Miriam Aanna Rasenberger (0), Sinead Deegan (0), Chelsea Cain (14).
Defending champions UCC Demons are into the Pat Duffy National Cup final, following a 91-77 success over EJ Sligo All-Stars, who were playing in the last four for the first time in the club’s history.
EJ Sligo All-Stars raced to an early 6-0 lead, before Tobias Christensen got UCC Demons off the mark from the three point line. Patrick Robinson, who was December’s Men’s Super League player of the month, landed from the three point line to put Demons in front for the first time 10-9. A three from Oisin O’Reilly tied it at 16-16 midway through the first. Robinson’s second three had Demons up 27-20 with two and a half minutes to go. A corner three from Ireland international John Carroll saw EJ Sligo All-Stars trail 29-23 with 90 seconds to go. Another corner three in the closing seconds of the first - this time from O’Reilly - and it was a four point game, EJ Sligo All-Stars 31-27 behind.
UCC Demons raced out of the blocks in the second quarter with an 11-point run, finally snapped by Carroll converting from under the basket. David Lehane, who recently picked up his first Irish senior cap, was excelling defensively, but his neat layup at the midpoint put UCC Demons 49-31 and brought his tally to eight points at that stage. Tom Chiles landed a much-needed three for EJ Sligo All-Stars in the final minute of the quarter, before an Elijah Tillman free throw saw his personal haul move to 17 points, UCC Demons ahead 59-46.
EJ Sligo All-Stars made inroads in the third quarter, another three from Childs midway through the third cut the deficit to eight, 65-57. A layup from Harry Gent followed. UCC Demon’s offence in the quarter wasn’t as potent compared to the opening half, but a pair of put-back’s from Tillman in the closing stages of the quarter helped them to a 71-63 advantage.
UCC Demons made a strong start to the fourth, a pair of layups from Blake Murphy and Scott Hannigan put them 75-64 up with two minutes gone. A Jevonnie Scott layup reduced it to nine points, 81-72 with six minutes to go. All-Stars were already missing several players from their roster due to injury and Scott - who picked up 27 points - was visibly struggling with a knock in the closing stages, clutching his left leg, which didn’t help their comeback cause.
Kyle Hosford, who came out of retirement early this season, gave his thoughts after UCC Demons’ 91-77 victory: “You will always think about coming out of retirement when you stop, but to come back here and back to the final is unbelievable. We started off well, sometimes that’s a hindrance, you get too complacent, take your foot off the pedal, even though you say you won’t you sometimes do and teams are always going to make a run, Sligo did that, so we had to regroup ourselves and we did."
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 27-31, Q2: 19-28 Q3: 17-12, Q4: 14-20
Game Scores:
Q1: 27-31, Q2: 46-59, Q3: 63-71, Q4: 77-91
EJ Sligo All-Stars:
Jasper Gimena (DNP), Daniel O’Meara (DNP), Jonathan Brown (8), Jevonnie Scott (27), Mark Chambers (DNP), Ciaran Geelon (DNP), Sean Snee (DNP), John Carroll (23), Aiden Lockhart (DNP), Thomas Paul Child (8), Oisin O’Reilly (6), Harry Gent (5).
UCC Demons:
Scott Hannigan (4), Blake Murphy (2), Tobias Christensen (22), Kyle Hosford (7), James Hannigan (0), David Lehane (12), Eimantas Spudulis (0), Patrick Robinson (23), Cian Looney (DNP), Daryl Cuff (DNP), Elijah Tillman (21).
Killester defeated Griffith College Éanna 93-74 in the other Pat Duffy National Cup semi-final.
The first quarter was an even one, Griffith College Éanna, who were looking to reach their second Pat Duffy Cup final in three years, had a narrow advantage, 26-24, thanks to Tyland Crawford’s three in the last seconds.
Killester started the second quarter with an 11 point run to make it 33-26. Sean Jenkins got his first points of the game with three and two-point jump shot to reduce the deficit, 33-31, three and a half minutes in. Not long afterwards Paul Dick racked up eight points in a little over a minute - a corner three, pair of layups and a free throw - to help Killester into a 43-35 lead midway through the quarter, with only Kristijan Andabaka getting on the scoreboard for Griffith College Éanna during the sequence.
A three from Andabaka and a pair of Tyland Crawford free throws saw it level at 45-45 going into the closing stages of the second quarter, only for a trio of free throws from Dick to hand Killester a 48-45 half-time lead.
Two minutes into the third quarter it was level once more, 51-51, after a pair of Kason Harrell free throws. Killester stated to take control of proceedings after that they were up by five after an Isiah Dasher three and a Ciaran Roe layup under the basket making it 58-53. The gap was ten, 67-57, following Dick’s corner three with four minutes to go in the third quarter. Killester continued to build a lead, another corner three, this time from Andy McGeever, and they were 72-57 up. Momentum was with Killester, summed up with an end of quarter buzzer beater from Harrell, which saw him clatter into the perimeter advertising boards in the process, the Dublin side now had a 78-61 lead.
A McGeever driving layup started off the fourth for Killester. Griffith College Éanna needed to respond, a Stefan Desnica free throw and turnaround jump shot from Jenkins saw them trail 82-64 three minutes in. It was to be Killester’s day, finishing with a 93-74 win.
Paul Dick, who was one of three Killester players to pick up 21 points on the day along with Harrell and Isiah Dasher, said: “We’ve been working hard since pre-season, great team chemistry, great coaching and it’s all coming together nicely as we move forward in the season. Offensively it hasn’t been a problem this year, we’re sharing the ball, sometimes we make shots, sometimes we don’t, but we believe if we keep doing the right things the ball will fall they way it will, so we’re confident with what we’re doing and we’re happy with the flow we’re in.”
Asked about upcoming final opponents UCC Demons, Dick added: “Demons are always dangerous, they’re hustlers and they fight to the death, so we’ll see how it falls on the day.”
The Pat Duffy Cup final will take place at 2000 on Saturday 18th January at the National Basketball Arena and will be broadcast live on TG4.
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 26-24, Q2: 19-24 Q3: 16-30, Q4: 13-15
Game Scores:
Q1: 26-24, Q2: 45-48, Q3: 78-61, Q4: 93-74
Griffith College Éanna:
Cathal O’Sullivan (3), Mark Reynolds (9), Dean Kiernan (0), Joshua Wilson (17), Kristijan Andabaka (12), Stefan Desnica (10), Neil Lynch (2), Sean Jenkins (9), Tyland Crawford (11), Adam Charles (DNP), James Gormley (1), Harry Lynch (DNP).
Killester:
Isaac Westbrooks (0), Andy McGeever (5), Daniel Sheridan (DNP), Patrick Sullivan (DNP), Isiah Dasher (21), Farouq Raheem (DNP), Ciaran Roe (7), Kaiwen Yang (0), Baptiste Chazelas (12), Paul Dick (21), Kason Harrell (21), Eoghain Kiernan (6).
