SETU Waterford Wildcats both dented Pyrobel Killester’s hopes of lifting this season’s MissQuote.ie Super League title and, in turn, bolstered their own following their 87-78 victory over the Dubliners in Mercy Gym on Saturday evening, while in the InsureMyVan.ie Super League, Griffith College Éanna recorded an 89-75 home win over joint South Conference leaders, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors.
SETU Waterford Wildcats landed a significant blow to Pyrobel Killester’s MissQuote.ie Super League title ambitions while subsequently bolstering their own after they recorded a big 87-78 victory over the Dubliners in Mercy Gym on Saturday evening.
Shanai’jah Davison was ruthless from the line, converting all but two of her 15 free throws en route to a 34-point haul for the homeside, while Sarah Hickey chipped in with a further 21 points and 12 rebounds to help counter Killester’s most potent attacking threat in Keowa Walters and Claire Melia, who together accounted for 35 points and 23 rebounds respectively.
“It was a tough battle with nothing between the sides” remarked SETU Waterford Wildcats head coach, Tommy O’Mahony.
“Defensively I thought we really stepped it up in the second half which I feel got us over the line.
“Killester are a good team, but once we had a bit of belief that we could compete with them, it gave us the confidence to push on” he added.
FloMAX Liffey Celtics capitalised on this setback for their North Dublin rivals by beating Trinity Meteors 84-72 in order to, themselves, draw level with Killester in second place, having played one game less than both them and Waterford.
Yet again, the combination of Americans Alexandra Navarette and Tianna Ayulo inflicted severe damage for the Leixlip side as they combined for 45 points and 20 rebounds against a Trinity outfit that was heavily reliant on their own American, Morgan Lenahan (27 points).
Fresh from their InsureMyHouse.ie Paudie O’Connor National Cup success the week before, Guarranabraher Credit Union Brunell extended their lead at the top of the MissQuote.ie Super League to six points after they wore down a competitive Portlaoise Panthers outfit to win out 87-67 in Cork on Sunday.
While Americans Jessica Fressle and Alyssa Velles each put up 21 points for the visitors, Brunell remained in control thanks in no small measure to the 45-point contribution of Jayla Nacole Johnson and Kyaja Victoria Williams, the latter also chalking up a huge 17 rebounds.
The Address UCC Glanmire prolonged the hangover from this season’s InsureMyHouse.ie Paudie O’Connor National Cup Final defeat for Catalyst Fr. Mathews as they emerged victorious 77-71 from Sunday’s Cork derby in the Mardyke Arena.
Seventeen points apiece from Amy Dooley and Yasriyyah Wazweerud went a long way to seeing the defending champions pick up only their seventh win in league action so far this season.
Abigail Rafferty hit 26 points and mopped up 14 rebounds as Ulster University picked up a second straight win on the road, beating University of Galway Mystics 85-67 in the Kingfisher Sports Arena.
This week’s InsureMyVan.ie Super League action saw, the two front-runners in the South Conference, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors and Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig@MTU, both suffer reversals.
The former carded an 89-75 defeat on the road against Griffith College Éanna, who finished the night with five players in double figures, including Joshua Wilson (18 points) and Stefan Desnica (17).
Delighted with the victory that keeps them neck and neck with second place Pyrobel Killester in the North Conference, Griffith College Éanna head coach, Darren McGovern said “Tralee showed massive character throughout and tested us from start to finish
“I think we showed in patches that we can be excellent on both ends of the floor.
“Our goal is to increase the levels on both ends and this is a good starting point for us. It's a big win” he insisted.
Having endured heartbreak in this season’s InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy Cup Final only the week before, Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig@MTU were left nursing more wounds after they suffered a 105-97 loss to EJ Sligo All-Stars upon their return to league competition in Mercy Gym on Saturday night.
Only two points separated the sides heading into the closing quarter, but Chrishon Briggs hit 12 points down the stretch to take his tally to 29, while Tom Child top-scored on 31 to help propel the hosts over the line.
Zvonimir Cutuk and Terence Lewis II, together amassed 44 points as Maree ran out comfortable 95-72 winners over Templeogue in the Kingfisher Sports Arena to close the gap on the South Conference’s top two to just three points.
A big first-quarter display in which they out-gunned their opponents by 16 points laid the groundwork for Pyrobel Killester’s 83-74 home win over Energywise Ireland Neptune.
Kason Harrell served up another big show on offence for the Dubliners as he netted a game-high 30 points which, together with the 19 supplied by Gregorio Jesus Adon Encarnacion, went a long way to answering the combined 51 from Neptune’s Derek Murphy and Jordan Blount.
A colossal 55 points and 20 rebounds by Elijah Tillman helped ensure UCC Demons maintained the momentum generated by their InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy National Cup success the week before as they beat Bright St. Vincent’s 124-112 in overtime at St Vincent’s CBS.
De Ondre Jackson and Tamyrik Fields’ 46-point package helped Belfast Star weather a fourth-quarter revival by Flexachem KCYMS to win out 91-85 in Killorglin Sports Complex.
Ivan Basic’s bucket in the closing minute was all that separated Maigh Cuilinn from hosts, Ulster University as the Galway side edged a 65-63 victory in Jordanstown Sports Village.
That decisive score took Basic’s total to 14 points, while team mate, Josiah Laracey emerged top-scorer with 21 on Saturday evening.
In the InsureMyVan.ie Division One, North Conference leaders, Kavanagh’s Portlaoise Panthers fought back from 14 points down at half-time to beat UCD Marian 95-78 in St. Mary’s Hall. Limerick Sports Huskies extended SETU Carlow’s losing run to three games as they returned home from Barrow Centre celebrating a 94-84 point success on Saturday evening.
Even a massive 43 points by Christian Simmons was not enough to prevent Team NorthWest going down 88-74 against Moy Tolka Rovers in Foyle Arena. Joels Dublin Lions recorded a nailbiting 92-89 victory over Mater Private Malahide in Coláiste Bríde, while SETU Waterford Vikings carded an 84-70 home win over Titans BC. Scotts Lakers Killarney earned the bragging rights following their 101-93 win over neighbouring rivals, Killarney Cougars in Presentation Gym before Drogheda Wolves returned home from Crescent College with an 83-70 victory over Limerick Celtics in the bag.
In the MissQuote.ie Division One, Templeogue produced a huge fourth-quarter performance to turn an eight-point deficit into a 72-61 victory over Abbey Seals Dublin Lions, while North Conference leaders iSecure Swords Thunder had to battle their way back from 12 points down to see off Phoenix Rockets 78-72. Newly-crowned InsureMyHouse.ie Division One Cup champions, Limerick Celtics were pipped 79-78 by Marble City Hawks in O’Loughlin Gaels GAA Club, while Oblate Dynamos prevailed 69-66 in the face of a huge challenge by McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles in Inchicore. Limerick Sport Huskies recorded a 79-58 victory on the road against Moy Tolka Rovers before South Conference leaders, St. Paul’s Killarney ran out comprehensive 94-66 winners over SETU Carlow on Sunday.
Results
MissQuote.ie Super League
Saturday January 27
University of Galway Mystics 67 - 85 Ulster University
SETU Waterford Wildcats 87 - 78 Pyrobel Killester
Trinity Meteors 72 - 84 FloMAX Liffey Celtics
Sunday January 28
The Address UCC Glanmire 77 - 71 Catalyst Fr. Mathews
Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell 87 - 67 Portlaoise Panthers
InsureMyVan.ie Super League
Saturday January 27
Ulster University 63 -65 Maigh Cuilinn
Pyrobel Killester 83 - 74 Energywise Ireland Neptune
Maree 95 - 72 Templeogue
Bright St. Vincent’s 112 - 124 UCC Demons
Griffith College Éanna 89 - 75 Garvey’s Tralee Warriors
Flexachem KCYMS 85 - 91 Belfast Star
EJ Sligo All-Stars 105 - 97 Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig@MTU
MissQuote.ie Division One
Saturday January 27
Phoenix Rockets 72 - 78 iSecure Swords Thunder
Templeogue 72 - 61 Abbey Seals Dublin Lions
Moy Tolka Rovers 58 - 79 Limerick Sport Huskies
Oblate Dynamos 69 - 66 McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles
Marble City Hawks 79 - 78 Limerick Celtics
Sunday January 28
St Paul’s Killarney 94 - 66 SETU Carlow
InsureMyVan.ie Division One
Saturday January 27
SETU Carlow 84 - 94 Limerick Sport Eagles
Team NorthWest 74 - 88 Moy Tolka Rovers
Joels Dublin Lions 92 - 89 Mater Private Malahide
Kavanagh’s Portlaoise Panthers 95 - 78 UCD Marian
SETU Waterford Vikings 84 - 70 Titans BC
Killarney Cougars 93 - 101 Scotts Lakers Killarney
Sunday January 28
Limerick Celtics 70 - 83 Drogheda Wolves
