Portlaoise Panthers 66 SETU Waterford Wildcats 70
Women’s Basketball Super League
Portlaoise Panthers very nearly pulled off the shock of the Women’s Super League season as they mounted a ferocious challenge against SETU Waterford Wildcats before being ultimately pipped by the leaders down the stretch in Mercy College on Saturday evening.
The performance, which featured a haul off 19 points and 14 rebounds by Amy Dooley, was made all the more remarkable by the fact that Portlaoise were, again, without American power forward, Jessica Fressle who is currently away in the US.
In a game that saw the two sides deadlocked on six occasions throughout the fourth quarter, it was Panthers who led the way 15-10 at the close of the first, Lynn Tunnah putting up seven points in that period.
Yet Waterford managed to gain a foothold in this tie and, helped by a nine-point run at the start of the second quarter, they overtook into a 35-29 advantage by the half-time recess, Kate Hickey and Chelsea Cain teaming up for 17 points throughout that surge.
Portlaoise, however, steadied their own ship in the third, Alyssa Velles, Lynn Tunnah and Dooley serving up some timely buckets to help Keith Conroy’s side close the gap to three (50-47), setting the stage for a titanic tussle over the closing 10 minutes.
Indeed, Panthers levelled the game up at 53 points apiece – the first of six occasions in which the two teams would find themselves neck and neck down the stretch.
Dooley was proving a real handful for the Wildcats defence as she posted a further nine points, but Waterford maintained their poise, and crucial buckets from Ashia McCalla, as well as Sarah and Kate Hickey, helped propel them six clear with 17 seconds remaining.
A Megan Dunne deuce was all the visitors could muster up in response as Waterford did enough to remain clear at the top of the table heading into Christmas.
While their record may have slipped to 4 and 5 in the top flight, Panthers will, no doubt, draw huge confidence from such an impressive performance as they turn their attention to next Saturday’s trip to a Brunell side that will be gunning to avenge their 19-point defeat at the hands of Portlaoise at the outset of the season back in October.
SCORERS – SETU Waterford: Sarah Hickey (16), Chelsea Cain (14), Kate Hickey (12), Ashia McCalla (11) Portlaoise Panthers: Amy Dooley (19), Lynn Tunnah (19), Alyssa Velles (18).
SETU WATERFORD WILDCATS: Kate Hickey, Orla Dullaghan, Helena Rohan, Sarah Hickey, Aoife Brett, Ashia McCalla, Miriam Rasenberger, Chelsea Cain.
PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Caoimhe Brophy, Amy Dooley, Alyssa Velles.
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