Brunell 69 Portlaoise Panthers 53
Women’s Basketball Super League
Portlaoise Panthers suffered their third straight defeat in this season’s Women’s Super League after they were undone by a Brunell outfit looking to avenge their opening-weekend loss to Keith Conroy’s side back in October.
It was a disappointing third quarter that really cost Portlaoise in Parochial Hall on Saturday night as they managed just five points and were consequently outgunned by 14 in that period.
Up until that stage in the contest, only two points separated the two sides who refused to give an inch over the course of the first half.
The return of Edel Thornton to their line-up on Saturday after months on the sideline recovering from an ACL injury was a real plus for Brunell, the Ireland senior international captain serving up 11 points for the hosts.
That, together with the combined 30 from Deaja Richardson and Danielle O’Leary, went a long way to seeing Brunell inflict on Portlaoise, a defeat that now leaves them 4 and 6 in the Super League table.
Portlaoise, who were still without the influential Jessica Fressle, trailed their opponents by just a point (17-16) at the end of the first quarter, Richardson draining two threes, while Amy Dooley also served up six points for Panthers in that period.
While free throws from Alyssa Velles and Lynn Tunnah helped nudge Portlaoise ahead late in the second quarter, Brunell did regain a two-point lead (35-33) by the break, Trinity Hudson, Thornton and Richardson all serving up buckets.
Brunell began to flex their muscles in the third, locking down in defence to confine the visitors to just five points as they strung together eight and 11-point runs that propelled them into a 54-38 advantage heading into the fourth.
Danielle O’Leary proved a real thorn in the side of Panthers in that penultimate quarter, landing three shots from downtown and another from the free-throw line.
And while Ciara Byrne drained a three and Velles and Tunnah each put up a further four points, Portlaoise were unable to reel in their hosts in the fourth.
SCORERS – Brunell: Deaja Richardson (17), Danielle O’Leary (13), Edel Thornton (11), Lauryn Homan (9), Trinity Hudson (9). Portlaoise Panthers: Alyssa Velles (12), Lynn Tunnah (10), Amy Dooley (10), Ciara Byrne (9), Megan Dunne (7).
BRUNELL: Kelly Sexton, Laura Hannigan, Ava Walshe, Lauryn Homan, Danielle O’Leary, Edel Thornton, Trinity Hudson, Abbie Lyons, Deaja Richardson, Megan O’Leary.
PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Amy Dooley, Alyssa Velles.
