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Basketball: All-Ireland success as Portlaoise CBS defeat Mayo side to claim U-19 ‘A’ glory

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Portlaoise CBS 67 St Muredach’s College (Mayo) 58 
Schools All-Ireland U-19 ‘A’ Basketball Final 

Portlaoise CBS lifted the All-Ireland U-19 ‘A’ Boys Schools Cup in the National Basketball Arena on Tuesday.

This was after a hard-fought victory over St Muredach’s College of Mayo in the decider.

The two sides went toe-to-toe right the way through this titanic battle, but the Laois side pulled away over the closing minute, Cormac Howson serving up two late buckets to take his total to a game-high 20 points on the day.

While Brian Donoghue served up the game’s opening score for St. Muredach’s, Portlaoise CBS responded with the next seven, that included a delightful three from game MVP, Jayden Umeh.

Equally impressive efforts from downtown by Cian Morrison and Nathan Roddy helped haul St Muredach’s back on to level terms and it remained tight over the closing three minutes of the first quarter, a Desmond Ogedegbe deuce seeing Portlaoise CBS edge that opening period 18-17.

Ogedegbe picked up where he left off when he returned to the court, taking another bucket from the floor and a point from the free-throw line before Cillian O’Connell drained a big effort from beyond the arc to see the Laois outfit move seven points clear.

Yet the Mayo side were not about to lose sight of their opponents and cut the gap to two when Roddy picked up points from the line and floor.

It looked like Portlaoise CBS would end the half on the front foot when O’Connell registered an ‘and one’ for them, but Roddy made the most of an open look on the three-point line to leave just three between the sides at the break (33-30).

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St. Muredach’s continued on to overtake when they got back to the floor, Brian Donoghue and Mark Cunningham delivering early buckets in the third.

But Portlaoise CBS regained the initiative with six unanswered points compliments of Justice Iheme, Cormac Howson and Umeh.

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Jack Scully’s side pushed their lead out to eight, but St Muredach’s remained very much in the reckoning as a Cunningham bucket helped cut that gap in half by the end of the third quarter.

The Mayo side came out firing in the fourth with Cian Morrison and Cunningham both executing in the paint to restore parity at 47 points apiece.

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Yet O’Connell halted that momentum with a deuce that nudged Portlaoise CBS into a lead, they would not surrender for the remainder of the game.

That said, it was certainly not a comfortable homerun for the Portlaoise side who had to weather a huge push by St. Muredach’s.

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Indeed, it was only after Howson landed a brace from the floor and O’Connell took two from the free-throw line to push their lead out to six with 28 seconds remaining did the finish line come into view, Howson capping their victory with a delightful dunk.

“We knew, coming in today, that St. Muredach’s were going to be aggressive and every time we pulled away I just knew they were coming back” remarked Portlaoise CBS head coach, Jack Scully.

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“But I’ve been with these lads for eight years. They’re all members of our club and I’m just delighted to see these boys get out of underage basketball with something to show for it. It’s fantastic” he smiled.

SCORERS – Portlaoise CBS: Cormac Howson (20), Desmond Ogedegbe (18), Cillian O’Connell (11) St Muredach’s College: Mark Cunningham (19), Cian Morrison (15), Nathan Roddy (12).

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PORTLAOISE CBS: Jayden Umeh, Luke Kavanagh, Cormac Howson, Jack Fennell, Cillian O’Connell, Tony Walsh, Justice Iheme, Oisin Crosson, Daniel Booth, Love Omoijade, Fionn Stack, Desmond Ogedegbe.

ST MUREDACH’S COLLEGE: Cian Morrison, Alan Birrane, Patrick Carr, Conor Bourke, Darragh Bourke, Sam O’Connell, Nathan Roddy, Rory Mahoney, Mark Cunningham, Joseph O’Boyle, James O’Boyle, Brian Donoghue.

©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

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