All-Ireland title hopes dashed in the final second

Christ the King 27  Scoil Mhuire 25

SCOIL Mhuire Ennistymon travelled to UL Sports Arena last Tuesday to take part in the All-Ireland C first-year girls basketball final. Scoil Mhuire’s opposition was Christ the King from Cork City. The North Clare team travelled with a large group of pupils and parents for support. The school was hoping to bridge the 13-year gap since they experienced all-Ireland glory, winning a volleyball title in 1997.
Scoil Mhuire started the first quarter strongly, scoring 10 points to Christ the King’s only basket. However, the Cork girls sprung to life in the second quarter and added 14 points to their tally. Scoil Mhuire added five to their score, leaving the half-time score 16 -15 and the Cork side with a one-point advantage.
At the end of the third quarter, Scoil Mhuire had taken the lead again with three points to spare, 21-18.
In the final quarter, Cork got off to a good start, scoring five points, before Sarah Leigh and Niamh Hogan added baskets, leaving Scoil Mhuire two points ahead. Christ the King then added a basket to tie the sides. The clock was ticking down and both teams were preparing for extra time when, with just 1.3 seconds left on the clock, one of the Cork players put up an outside shot, which, to the dismay of the North Clare girls, went in. Scoil Mhuire had to settle for second best on the day, beaten by a single basket in the last second of the game.

Scoil Mhuire: Ciara O’ Connell, Sarah Leigh, Clionadh Egan, Aisling O’Connell, Niamh Hogan, Laura Crowe, Ellie McGlennon, Eva O’Dea, Róisín Canavan, Marie Fitzgerald, Laoise Buchholtz and Lynn O’Doherty.
Subs: Shannon McCormack, Ailish Hanrahan, Laura McGann, Nadine McDonagh and Naomi Harvey.
Scorers: Sarah Leigh (4), Niamh Hogan (4), Lynn O’Doherty (4), Laura Crowe (4), Ciara O’Connell (1) and Aisling O’Connell (8).
Coaches: Carmel Eustace and Stephen Leigh; assistant coaches: Niamh Nestor and Marie Burke.