Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One play-off final
ITC Basketball: 47
Marble City Hawks: 55
MARBLE CITY HAWKS drove home a massive win in Letterkenny on Sunday as they pipped ITC Basketball, Carlow, to the Women’s Division One play-off title.
Superb performances from Kelly O’Hallahan, Elizabeth Munnelly and Katie Fox were the difference on the day for the Kilkenny side, with MVP O’Hallahan top-scoring with 19 points on a day where scores were at a premium for both sides.
Indeed, a close and tense opening quarter saw just three points between the sides at the buzzer, with Hawks leading 9-12. Carlow’s Jamiyah Bethune and Ciara McCarthy came out strong in the second quarter, driving their team forward and as the lead changed hands on numerous occasions throughout the quarter, a superb finish from O’Hallahan saw Hawks hold a 21-22 lead going into the third.
Hawks really drove forward in the third quarter, with Elizabeth Munnelly, Aine Sheehy and Shelia Sheehy all making big impressions for the Kilkenny side, helping them to carve out a ten-point lead, 34-44 going into the last.
Holli Dunne and Bethune drove Carlow forward in the fourth, but the damage had been done, and though they closed the gap back to four at one stage, Hawks ran out deserving winners in the end, 47-55.
ITC BASKETBALL: Holli Dunne, Megan Dunne, Ciara McCarthy, Elaine Kennington, Megan Campbell, Jamiyah Bethune, Amy Dooley.
MARBLE CITY HAWKS: Claire Kelly, Philomena Fogarty, Nicola Gannon, Maria Connolly, Elizabeth Munnelly, Kelly O’Hallahan, Katie Fox, Aine Sheehy, Shelia Sheehy, Ann Prendergast.
Top scorers ITC Basketball: Jamiyah Bethune 18, Ciara McCarthy 12, Megan Campbell 5
Top scorers Marble City Hawks: Kelly O’Hallahan 19, Katie Fox 15, Shelia Sheey 9
Half time score: ITC Basketball 21-22 Marble City Hawks
MVP: Kelly O’Hallahan (Marble City Hawks)
