Liffey Celtics see off Killester to lift 2024/25 Paudie O’Connor National Cup
The FloMAX Liffey Celtics team and staff celebrate with the Paudie O'Connor Cup Photo:©INPHO/Ben Brady
FloMAX Liffey Celtics are the 2024/25 Paudie O'Connor National Cup champions following a superb 65-53 victory over Killester in Sunday evening's decider in the National Basketball Arena.
The Leixlip side could not have picked a better time to arrest a three-game head-to-head losing streak against their Dublin rivals, as huge second and third quarter displays propelled them to an impressive triumph.
While Killester managed to dig out a narrow one point lead (14-13) by the close of the first quarter, Karl Kilbride’s side began to stamp their authority on proceedings in the second, outgunning their opponents by 11 in that period to take a ten-point cushion (35-25) into the break.
Their third-quarter display was even more devastating as Allie Navarette and Sorcha Tiernan combined for 14 points, while Kelly Bracken, captain, Áine O’Connor and game MVP Hazel Finn also drained big shots from beyond the arc to push their lead out to a huge 25-points (63-38) heading into the fourth.
Yet Liffey, having coughed up a 17-point advantage in their narrow overtime loss to Killester in the league only last month, knew they could ill-afford to allow their rivals gain any sort of moment.
And, while they had only an Eboni Williams bucket to show for their offensive efforts in the fourth, it was their intensity in defence that denied Killester a way back in.
Rachel Huijsdens, Williams, Navarette, O’Connor and Finn all put in a huge shift under the boards as the Kildare side made it over the line to bridge a six-year gap since they last raised this prize.
Kelly Bracken, Kate O’Flaherty, Ciara Bracken, Eboni Williams, Rachel Huijsdens, Katie O’Sullivan, Clara Boyce, Sorcha Tiernan, Hazel Finn, Allie Navarette, Áine O’Connor.
Top Scorers: Allie Navarette (15), Hazel Finn (13), Sorcha Tiernan (11), Rachel Huijsdens (10).
Destiny Strother, Michelle Clarke, Samantha Haiby, Leilani Turner, Sarah Courtney, Bree Shelley, Ali Connolly, Robyn Malone, Ieva Bagdanaviciene, Hannah Thornton, Maeve O Seaghdha, Sara Lopez.
Top Scorers: Samantha Haiby (15), Michelle Clarke (13), Hannah Thornton (12).
