U18 Womens Semi-Final:
Glanmire 59 Maree 53
7th Jan 2009
extracted from www.basketballireland.ie
Some great steals by outstanding guard Carol McCarthy and accurate
shooting by Caitriona Foley helped Maree into a 7-2 lead, with Glanmire going
close with outside shots – not close enough off several attempts, before Emily
O'Callaghan made it 10-9 from deep to give Glanmire the lead for the first time.
They pushed on from there, with Jessica Kenny landing another three, to lead
17-13 after the first buzzer. Maree again started brighter at the start of the
second to level 19 apiece.
Casey Grace landed a big one to push Glanmire back in front, but Carol
McCarthy underlined her Irish International credentials with two threes –
Caitriona Foley showed her class witrh a big one in reply. 25 – 25 and it was
nip and tuck from there to the break, with Maree just shading it 33-31, McCarthy
coolly punishing an intentional foul to put them in front.
The third quarter was the headline-grabber. It took Glanmire four minutes to get
to the basket, with Emily O'Callaghan opening their account. More incredibly, it
took Maree no less than nine minutes to penetrate a brilliant Glanmire defence,
with Aisling Finn finally putting them on the board. 15 year old Clodagh
Scannell already had seven to her name by then and 9 by the end oif the
quarter, with Glanmire leading 44-37. Finn and Scannell traded baskets early in
the fourth before Carol McCarthy started driving at the basket and leading a
magnificent fightback, hauling it to 51 apiece with three minutes left and Maree
somehow after piling on the momentum.
With the game on the line, the younger Scannell sister stepped up with an
interception and drive and then a big three – big sister Jessica is on a US
scolarship, on this showing Clodagh would be advised to get a passport! - and
put in to bed with another in the last minute. Great heart and courage by Maree,
especially MVP Carol McCarthy and Caitriona Foley, but Glanmire had more all
round depth, fierce determination, and a rising superstar in young Scannell.
Glanmire: Clodagh Scannell (20), Emily O'Callaghan (10), Jessica
Kenny (8), Casey Grace (6), Emer Griffin, Lisa Dennehy, Deirdre O'Leary, Aimee
O'Riordan (4), Adrienne O'Driscoll 4), Stephanie O'Sullivan (2), Kelly
O'Connell, Eadoin Kelly, Catherine O'Sullivan, Jessica Cummins
Maree: Carol McCarthy (22), Tena Thornton, Kate Lyons (2), Sarah Drislane, Orla
Trayers, Christina Brennan (4), Nicola Duffy (8), Aisling Finn (6), Caitriona
Foley (17), Aine Delaney, Lua Rahmani