St. Vincent’s of Cork secured the U-16 girls National cup title, with an impressive 61-41 win over Calasanctius of Galway. It was a superb performance by Vincent’s, who made light of the considerable pressure which goes hand in hand with a national cup final appearance.
Initially, there was nothing to distinguish between the two teams in the opening quarter, as both teams came out flying. It is not unusual for teams to be overwhelmed by the occasion in situations like this, but both teams displayed impressive focus and determination from the outset.
Vincent’s Megan O’Leary secured the score of the first quarter, with a nonchalant three from outside. The game was neck and neck at the end of the quarter with Calasanctius leading 13-12.
St Vincent’s began the second quarter in fine style, with Olivia Dupuy and O’Leary instrumental as the Cork side raced into a seven point lead. Calasanctius were struggling to keep apace, against a Vincent’s side that had found another couple of gears. Edel Thornton was a frequent thorn in the Galway side’s defence, but Sinead Considine hit an important three pointer to keep her side in sight of Vincent’s. Olivia Dupuy showed her class as the first half drew to a close with a superb three pointer, to give her side a 32 -21 lead at the interval.
The second half began with Vincent’s continuing to assert their authority. Dupuy and Thornton were continuing a rampage that was completely overwhelming the Calasanctius defence. They stretched the lead to twenty points towards the end of the third. Vincent’s should be commended for the touch of class they bring to the basketball court. There play merges a diligent and focused defence, with a cohesive and fluent attack. The final quarter of this game was somewhat a foregone conclusion, and Vincent’s maintained their lead with a final score of 61-41.
Vincent’s seamless transitional play frequently outfoxed Calasanctius and their accuracy when shooting from distance was the major difference between the teams. Coach Dommie Mullins will be hugely proud of his side, although the coach himself deserves special praise for the manner in which his team performed. Megan O’Leary secured the games’ MVP award after a huge performance which saw her secure twenty two points.
Initially, there was nothing to distinguish between the two teams in the opening quarter, as both teams came out flying. It is not unusual for teams to be overwhelmed by the occasion in situations like this, but both teams displayed impressive focus and determination from the outset.
Vincent’s Megan O’Leary secured the score of the first quarter, with a nonchalant three from outside. The game was neck and neck at the end of the quarter with Calasanctius leading 13-12.
St Vincent’s began the second quarter in fine style, with Olivia Dupuy and O’Leary instrumental as the Cork side raced into a seven point lead. Calasanctius were struggling to keep apace, against a Vincent’s side that had found another couple of gears. Edel Thornton was a frequent thorn in the Galway side’s defence, but Sinead Considine hit an important three pointer to keep her side in sight of Vincent’s. Olivia Dupuy showed her class as the first half drew to a close with a superb three pointer, to give her side a 32 -21 lead at the interval.
The second half began with Vincent’s continuing to assert their authority. Dupuy and Thornton were continuing a rampage that was completely overwhelming the Calasanctius defence. They stretched the lead to twenty points towards the end of the third. Vincent’s should be commended for the touch of class they bring to the basketball court. There play merges a diligent and focused defence, with a cohesive and fluent attack. The final quarter of this game was somewhat a foregone conclusion, and Vincent’s maintained their lead with a final score of 61-41.
Vincent’s seamless transitional play frequently outfoxed Calasanctius and their accuracy when shooting from distance was the major difference between the teams. Coach Dommie Mullins will be hugely proud of his side, although the coach himself deserves special praise for the manner in which his team performed. Megan O’Leary secured the games’ MVP award after a huge performance which saw her secure twenty two points.