KILLESTER WON THEIR fifth Domino’s WSL National Cup, defeating FloMAX Liffey Celtics 70-64 to avenge last season’s final defeat to the same opponents.

Samantha Haiby picked up the MVP with 30 points, followed closely by 20-point performance from Killester captain Michelle Clarke.

Clarke certainly led by example in the opening minutes, landing two three’s and grabbing eight of Killester’s opening 11 points to help the Dublin side into an early 11-7 lead. FloMAX Liffey Celtics were back level at 11-apiece, following two Brooke Kane free throws midway through the quarter. A nice step-back jump shot from Sorcha Tiernan put Liffey Celtics 13-12 up with a little over three minutes to go in the quarter and they were 17-14 up by the end of it. 

Another Clarke three brought Killester level at 19-19 two minutes into the second quarter but FloMAX Liffey Celtics built a lead once more, back-to-back scores from Destinee Bursch putting them 33-26 ahead. A Haiby rebound and additional free throw reduced the deficit not long afterwards. The gap was just two by the break, 36-34, following a Laura McFarland jump shot and a Hannah Thornton free throw for Killester in the final minute.

Clarke’s fourth three at the start of the third quarter brought her tally to 16 at that stage and put her side back in front, 37-36. Haiby downed a three and picked up an extra free throw, to put Killester 41-38 ahead two and a half minutes into the quarter.

A Brooke Kane putback basket and additional free throw saw Liffey Celtics trail 47-46 with four minutes to go. But within 30 seconds Killester were up by six, 52-46, following a Haiby basket and a corner three by Ieva Bagdanavicience. Clarke followed with a jump shot and the momentum was with Mark Grennell’s team. Tiernan landed a big three, to reduce the deficit to four with two minutes left, but a Thornton layup in the final seconds made it a six point game, 56-50 to Killester.

Haiby had clicked into gear and her driving layup and additional free throw had Killester 59-51 ahead in the early stages of the fourth quarter. Liffey Celtics needed a response, midway through the quarter a corner three by Clara Boye made it a five point game, they trailed 61-56. An Aine O’Connor layup with 2’20” on the clock and the Liffey Celtics captain had her side trailing by four, 62-58. The Kildare side lost Kane to her fifth foul shortly afterwards, which was a huge blow to their hopes of a comeback. That was further dented by a corner three from the electric Haiby, Killester led 67-58 with 1’40″ to go. Liffey Celtics’ Tiernan wasn’t going to go down without a fight and back-to-back three’s made it a three point game 67-64 with 26.6 seconds left. The last word went to Haiby, whose three free throws in the closing seconds got Killester over the line.

Killester captain Clarke, who picked up her third Paudie O’Connor Cup, said: “It has been so hard-fought for, it didn’t happen overnight, we’ve been through the lows of lows and building on the highs of highs at the moment and enjoying every minute of it, so thrilled with the win.

“It’s incredible, to be honest [last year's defeat] really left a bitter taste in our mouth, because that performance we put in wasn’t us, it can happen to anyone on Cup finals day and we’re so happy we were able to right that wrong today. The first half wasn’t our best basketball and I just kept saying throughout the game, imagine when they start going in, imagine when we start putting these plays together and finishing them, and we did that down the stretch and I am so happy.”