Cascaders and school double victories

CLARE Cascaders completed a double on Sunday in the NUIG Kingfisher Arena Galway with a 32-19 win over Maree Basketball Club Oranmore.
The Ennistymon club secured the cup earlier this month when they beat Maree in the cup final. This capped a very successful week for Clare basketball after Coláiste Mhuire Ennistymon girls did the double in Kerry by being crowned South-West regional winners in the first and second-year finals.
Scoil Mhuire Ennistymon travelled to Athea last week to represent Clare in the first year and second year girls’ regional finals. They won both Munster titles on what was a very historic and successful day’s basketball for the North Clare School.
On their way to the Clare finals, both teams had an unbeaten run with victories over Ennistymon Vocational School, Kilmihil Community College, Kildysart Community College, Spanish Point Secondary School and Kilrush Community College. In the Clare finals, held at Coláiste Muire in Ennis, Scoil Mhuire’s (Ennistymon) first year team beat Coláiste Muire (Ennis) while Scoil Mhuire’s second-year Team beat St Flannan’s College.
At the regional finals in Athea, Scoil Mhuire’s first-year team played Coláiste Íde in the semi-final and overcame the Kerry side comprehensively on a 37-7 score. Scoil Mhuire’s scorers were: Aisling O’Connell (9), Sarah Leigh (3), Róisín Canavan (6), Ciara O’Connell (9) and Marie Fitzgerald (4). In the Munster final, this team played Gael Choláiste Ciarraí from Tralee and ran out winners on a 31 to 24 scoreline. Scoil Mhuire scorers in the final were Laoise Buchholtz (2), Lynn O’Doherty (14) Sarah Leigh (4) and Aisling O’Connell (11).
The team substitutes were Ailish Hanrahan, Laura Mc Gann, Amiee Greene, Holly McCabe and Naomi Harvey.
In the second-year competition, the North Clare girls played Milltown in the semi-final and beat the Kerry girls, 55-33. Scorers for the Ennistymon side were Aoife Hegarty (13), Sinéad Considine (20), Sarah Clair (12) Sharon Roche (2) and Aisling O’Connell (4).
In the Munster final, the second-year girls played another Kerry side, Kenmare and beat them 37 points to 29 after a hard-fought battle. Scorers for Scoil Mhuire were Aoife Hegarty (10), Sinéad Considine (7), Sarah Clair (4) Sharon Roche (2), Sarah Leigh (6), Lisa Sexton (2) and Aisling O’Connell (6).
The substitutes in this team were Orlaith Egan, Denise Kelleher, Marie Garvey and Saoirse Reilly
Both teams have now qualified for the All-Ireland play-offs which are run off as a one-day tournament. The second-year team will play on April 20 in Presentation Secondary School in Thurles. They will play against King’s Hospital Dublin, St Mary’s Macroom (Cork) and Gael Choláiste Carlow. The winner of this play off will advance to the All-Ireland League semi-finals. The first-year team is waiting to find out who their opponents in the play off tournament will be.