BALLINCOLLIG DEFEATED KILLESTER 79-71 to lift the Domino’s Men’s Super League trophy and compete the double in the process, having won the National Cup in January. It is the Cork club’s second Super League title in four years, while for Killester it was heartache in the decider for the third year in row.
As the teams sized each other up in the opening quarter, a dunk from Robert Brasswell IV made it 13-8 to Killester midway through. Latrell Jossell, who was MVP in the Domino’s MSL National Cup final, landed a three to put Ballincollig in front, 16-13, with three minutes to go in the first quarter, but it would be level pegging at 17-17 at the end of it.
Another Jossell three had it level at 20 apiece with two minutes gone in the second quarter. Three minutes later an Adrian O’Sullivan layup had Ballincollig ahead by five points, 29-24. A big dunk from Latavious Mitchell with two minutes to go made it an eight-point game, 36-28. Josh Steel pushed it to a nine-point lead with his basket, Ballincollig were 39-30 ahead at half-time.
Adrian O’Sullivan took a bang to the face in the closing stages of the second quarter, but didn’t show any ill effects when downing a layup for the first score of the third quarter. The Ireland international was dictating the tempo and would finish with 17 points and seven rebounds on his way to earning the MVP.
Paul Dick landed a deep three in the fourth minute of the third quarter to trail 46-40, only for Keelan Cairns to unload with a corner three straight after. Ballincollig stretched their advantage to 15 after a Jossell layup and a Steel three, to lead 62-47 with a little over a minute to go. Down the stretch, Adrian O’Sullivan landed a long three with 16 seconds remaining, however Josh Wilson converted two late free throws to leave it at 65-53.
A corner three from Andy McGeever gave Killester the start they needed in the fourth quarter, but it was cancelled out by Dylan Corkery’s effort. Killester kept plugging away, a big block by Baptiste Chazelas on Jossell and swift counter ended with a Dick layup and Jonathan Grennell’s side had cut the deficit to six, 68-62. A Dick free throw followed shortly after, but Ballincollig didn’t panic, with layups from Jossell and Corkery to make it 72-63 with six minutes to go.
Momemtum was with Ciaran O’Sullivan’s side and when Jossell landed his third three of the contest with 2:23 to go it was 79-69 and they safely negotiated the final stages to seal the title.
Speaking after the game, player-coach Ciaran O’Sullivan was asked about completing the double and he said: “Yeah extraordinary, it’s not something you set out to do. If in pre-season someone told you it would end in this after 29 games, I mean what a run! We lost our first two games and it didn’t look likely and we had a poor enough season last season, knocked out in both quarter-finals cup and league.
“So to bounce back with a similar group of players, but I just have to say the guys we’ve brought in Latrell Jossell, the cup final performance here and the three of them Josh Steel and Latavious Mitchell and particularly Adrian O’Sullivan had a brilliant game today – total team effort.
“It’s tough, it’s a long season, 29 games, different contributions from different guys throughout the year. They’re rare (doubles), I am sure if you look at the roll of honour it hasn’t happened all too often, so delighted to be among those teams who have achieved it.”
Killester: Andrew McGeever (3), Josh Wilson (11), Colm O’Reilly (DNP), Daniel Sheridan (2), Paul Dick (19), Tom Byrne (DNP), Matthew McGrath (2), Farouq Raheem (1), Ciaran Roe (0), Kaiwen Yang (DNP), Robert Braswell IV (23), Baptiste Chazelas (10)
Trinity Meteors 87-81 UCC Glanmire
Trinity Meteors celebrate their national title. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Trinity Meteors won their first Domino’s Women’s Super League since 1992/93, defeating UCC Glanmire 87-81 in a thrilling playoff final at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday. Ava Learn was the MVP, with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the victors.
Trinity Meteors opened up an early seven point lead, 12-5, following a Kylie Horstmeyer layup with 5’26 to go in the first. Two minutes later Glanmire levelled matters after two layups from Viane Cumber, a jump shot form Jewel Watkins and an Emer Dunne free throw. Trinity Meteors would lead 17-15 by the end of the first quarter.
A Watkins three brought parity at 22-22 apiece with a little over three minutes gone in the second quarter. Two layups for Aisling Moran either side of Hazel Finn’s put Meteors 28-22 at the midpoint of the quarter. Aine McKenna’s three was the only respite for UCC Glanmire, Horstmeyer’s jumpshot had Meteors up by eight, 33-25, with three minutes to go. Up stepped Watkins and Cumber, who had them back level once more, at 35-35, with a minute to go, Cumber with two three’s. Meteors would lead by four at half-time, Ciara Mulligan’s jump shot making it 39-35.
Meteors opened up an eight point lead in the third quarter, 50-42, following Ava Learn’s three. Again UCC Glanmire closed the gap, Cumber’s third three of the contest left it at 50-48 at the midpoint of the quarter. A Watkins jump shot nudged Glanmire 53-52 up with a minute to go. Again Meteors pulled away, a fastbreak and layup from Finn, who converted the ‘and one’ after being fouled on the way to the basket, saw the Dublin club finish the quarter 59-54 ahead.
Trinity Meteors made it a 10 point game after two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, Finn and Helena Keane linked up to make it 69-59. Two Claire O’Sullivan baskets and a McKenna three and free throw and it was a four point game once more, 71-67, after four minutes. An O’Sullivan three off the glass midway through the quarter and the deficit was just two, UCC Glanmire trailing 73-71.
An Ava Learn three from the top of the arc restored a five point led for Meteors, 78-73, with three and a half minutes to go. Learn downed two free throws with 39.9 seconds to go to make it 83-78, but Cumber came back with a big three. Meteors held their nerve, a Horstmeyer basket and two Finn free throws followed to secure the victory.
Trinity Meteors head coach Seamas Donnelly said: “Two great teams battling it out right to the final seconds, we just snuck it at the end through great defence. Credit to Glanmire, the quality they came back with, we were 10 points up with 10 minutes to go and they came back and we just snuck it at the end, it is a great feeling. It is great for the club, but also on a personal level I’d like to dedicate it to Eamonn Prenter, who passed away and he would have been here today and thrilled for us.”
Trinity Meteors captain Catherine Connaire added; “It’s amazing, from start to finish every one of the girls – we knew it from the start that our depth was going to get us through. Like the last game (semi-final win against Killester), 23 points coming off the bench, the same again today, everyone put it all in and left it on the court, it’s amazing to get the win for the club.”
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Super League glory for Ballincollig and Trinity Meteors
LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago
Ballincollig 79-71 Killester
BALLINCOLLIG DEFEATED KILLESTER 79-71 to lift the Domino’s Men’s Super League trophy and compete the double in the process, having won the National Cup in January. It is the Cork club’s second Super League title in four years, while for Killester it was heartache in the decider for the third year in row.
As the teams sized each other up in the opening quarter, a dunk from Robert Brasswell IV made it 13-8 to Killester midway through. Latrell Jossell, who was MVP in the Domino’s MSL National Cup final, landed a three to put Ballincollig in front, 16-13, with three minutes to go in the first quarter, but it would be level pegging at 17-17 at the end of it.
Another Jossell three had it level at 20 apiece with two minutes gone in the second quarter. Three minutes later an Adrian O’Sullivan layup had Ballincollig ahead by five points, 29-24. A big dunk from Latavious Mitchell with two minutes to go made it an eight-point game, 36-28. Josh Steel pushed it to a nine-point lead with his basket, Ballincollig were 39-30 ahead at half-time.
Adrian O’Sullivan took a bang to the face in the closing stages of the second quarter, but didn’t show any ill effects when downing a layup for the first score of the third quarter. The Ireland international was dictating the tempo and would finish with 17 points and seven rebounds on his way to earning the MVP.
Paul Dick landed a deep three in the fourth minute of the third quarter to trail 46-40, only for Keelan Cairns to unload with a corner three straight after. Ballincollig stretched their advantage to 15 after a Jossell layup and a Steel three, to lead 62-47 with a little over a minute to go. Down the stretch, Adrian O’Sullivan landed a long three with 16 seconds remaining, however Josh Wilson converted two late free throws to leave it at 65-53.
A corner three from Andy McGeever gave Killester the start they needed in the fourth quarter, but it was cancelled out by Dylan Corkery’s effort. Killester kept plugging away, a big block by Baptiste Chazelas on Jossell and swift counter ended with a Dick layup and Jonathan Grennell’s side had cut the deficit to six, 68-62. A Dick free throw followed shortly after, but Ballincollig didn’t panic, with layups from Jossell and Corkery to make it 72-63 with six minutes to go.
Momemtum was with Ciaran O’Sullivan’s side and when Jossell landed his third three of the contest with 2:23 to go it was 79-69 and they safely negotiated the final stages to seal the title.
Speaking after the game, player-coach Ciaran O’Sullivan was asked about completing the double and he said: “Yeah extraordinary, it’s not something you set out to do. If in pre-season someone told you it would end in this after 29 games, I mean what a run! We lost our first two games and it didn’t look likely and we had a poor enough season last season, knocked out in both quarter-finals cup and league.
“So to bounce back with a similar group of players, but I just have to say the guys we’ve brought in Latrell Jossell, the cup final performance here and the three of them Josh Steel and Latavious Mitchell and particularly Adrian O’Sullivan had a brilliant game today – total team effort.
“It’s tough, it’s a long season, 29 games, different contributions from different guys throughout the year. They’re rare (doubles), I am sure if you look at the roll of honour it hasn’t happened all too often, so delighted to be among those teams who have achieved it.”
Ballincollig: Adrian O’Sullivan (17), Josh Steel (16), Latrell Jossell (17), Diego O’Herlihy (3), Rory O’Flynn (DNP), Alberto Rodriguez (0), Ciaran O’Sullivan (0), Ronan O’Sullivan (0), Colm Blount (DNP), Dylan Corkery (5), Latavious Mitchell (18), Keelan Cairns (3)
Killester: Andrew McGeever (3), Josh Wilson (11), Colm O’Reilly (DNP), Daniel Sheridan (2), Paul Dick (19), Tom Byrne (DNP), Matthew McGrath (2), Farouq Raheem (1), Ciaran Roe (0), Kaiwen Yang (DNP), Robert Braswell IV (23), Baptiste Chazelas (10)
Trinity Meteors 87-81 UCC Glanmire
Trinity Meteors won their first Domino’s Women’s Super League since 1992/93, defeating UCC Glanmire 87-81 in a thrilling playoff final at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday. Ava Learn was the MVP, with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the victors.
Trinity Meteors opened up an early seven point lead, 12-5, following a Kylie Horstmeyer layup with 5’26 to go in the first. Two minutes later Glanmire levelled matters after two layups from Viane Cumber, a jump shot form Jewel Watkins and an Emer Dunne free throw. Trinity Meteors would lead 17-15 by the end of the first quarter.
A Watkins three brought parity at 22-22 apiece with a little over three minutes gone in the second quarter. Two layups for Aisling Moran either side of Hazel Finn’s put Meteors 28-22 at the midpoint of the quarter. Aine McKenna’s three was the only respite for UCC Glanmire, Horstmeyer’s jumpshot had Meteors up by eight, 33-25, with three minutes to go. Up stepped Watkins and Cumber, who had them back level once more, at 35-35, with a minute to go, Cumber with two three’s. Meteors would lead by four at half-time, Ciara Mulligan’s jump shot making it 39-35.
Meteors opened up an eight point lead in the third quarter, 50-42, following Ava Learn’s three. Again UCC Glanmire closed the gap, Cumber’s third three of the contest left it at 50-48 at the midpoint of the quarter. A Watkins jump shot nudged Glanmire 53-52 up with a minute to go. Again Meteors pulled away, a fastbreak and layup from Finn, who converted the ‘and one’ after being fouled on the way to the basket, saw the Dublin club finish the quarter 59-54 ahead.
Trinity Meteors made it a 10 point game after two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, Finn and Helena Keane linked up to make it 69-59. Two Claire O’Sullivan baskets and a McKenna three and free throw and it was a four point game once more, 71-67, after four minutes. An O’Sullivan three off the glass midway through the quarter and the deficit was just two, UCC Glanmire trailing 73-71.
An Ava Learn three from the top of the arc restored a five point led for Meteors, 78-73, with three and a half minutes to go. Learn downed two free throws with 39.9 seconds to go to make it 83-78, but Cumber came back with a big three. Meteors held their nerve, a Horstmeyer basket and two Finn free throws followed to secure the victory.
Trinity Meteors head coach Seamas Donnelly said: “Two great teams battling it out right to the final seconds, we just snuck it at the end through great defence. Credit to Glanmire, the quality they came back with, we were 10 points up with 10 minutes to go and they came back and we just snuck it at the end, it is a great feeling. It is great for the club, but also on a personal level I’d like to dedicate it to Eamonn Prenter, who passed away and he would have been here today and thrilled for us.”
Trinity Meteors captain Catherine Connaire added; “It’s amazing, from start to finish every one of the girls – we knew it from the start that our depth was going to get us through. Like the last game (semi-final win against Killester), 23 points coming off the bench, the same again today, everyone put it all in and left it on the court, it’s amazing to get the win for the club.”
UCC Glanmire: Aine McKenna (11), Jessica O’Shea (0), Claire O’Sullivan (12), Annaliese Murphy (2), Mia Furlong (1), Jewel Watkins (29), Miriam Loughrey (0), Lucy Walsh (DNP) Emer Dunne (4), Faye McDonnell (0), Viane Cumber (22).
Trinity Meteors: Hazel Finn (13), Catherine Connaire (0), Helena Keane (11), Martina Destro (DNP), Ciara Mulligan (4), Aisling Moran (8), Franciska Treiliha (5), Ava Learn (23), Kylie Horstmeyer (23), Riodhna McGrath (DNP)
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