Nenagh Warriors Girls claim Basketball title
Nenagh Warriors were crowned North Munster U14 Girls Division Two League Basketball champions in St. Munchin`s College Limerick on Saturday.
Warriors had qualified for the league playoffs, as unbeaten number one seeds, with the league season having to be curtailed early.
Nenagh Warriors faced familiar opposition in Morning Star, from Hospital, in the semi-final. These teams had met three times previously this season, with Warriors having taken the win on all three occasions.
Warriors went into playoff day minus several key players, as well as coach, Louise Mulcahy, who was unavailable due to other commitments. The opening two quarters of the semi-final were tense, with both sides missing easy scoring opportunities and both teams giving away fouls. Morning Star were ahead 6-5 at half-time.
Warriors turned on the style in the third quarter, with great baskets from Rhiannon Jones and Isabelle Kingston firmly putting them in the ascendency. The intensity from Warriors continued in an end to end final quarter, with Warriors always doing enough to record a 21-16 victory.
The final took place early on Saturday evening, with Springfield from Dromcollogher providing the opposition. The first five players taking to the court for Nenagh Warriors were Rhiannon Jones, Carly Walsh, Maire Creagh, Roisin Nolan & Emma Spillane. What an opening quarter it was, with superb baskets from Jones & Creagh, helping Warriors blitz their opposition on the way to an opening 16-2 lead.
The second quarter of Isabelle Kingston, Lucy Coonan, Lucy McNamara, Sophie Hourigan and Lily Brennan continued to keep the opposition at bay, while adding a solitary basket of their own, leaving the halftime score at 18-2.
Mia McKenna was introduced in the third quarter along with Jones, McNamara, Walsh and Creagh, who weathered a brief Springfield fightback to keep Nenagh’s lead firmly in tact. This continued into the final quarter, with Nenagh Warriors pulling further ahead and recording a thoroughly deserved 31-9 victory.
This was a special victory for the under 14 girls, having suffered heartache in the Cup final before Christmas. It was also a second piece of silverware for the club this season, adding to the under 12 Boys Cup in December.
A special mention must be given to Louise Mulcahy, for all of the work that she has put into this group of girls this season. It was clear for those watching on, that the girls have been incredibly well coached by Louise & the team spirit showed by the girls throughout the league and on Saturday was oustanding.