Liffey denied by Killester’s fourth-quarter surge in Senior Cup decider
Liffey Celtics lost by just a point in the DLBB Senior Women’s Cup Final
Liffey Celtics coughed up an eight-point lead in the final quarter as Killester stormed back to pip them by a point in this season’s DLBB Senior Women’s Cup Final at the Oblate Hall in Inchicore on Sunday evening.
Trailing by four points at the half-time break, the Leixlip side looked to have turned this title game on its head after they outgunned their Dublin rivals by 12 points to overtake into 38-30 advantage by the close of the third.
But a blistering start to the fourth that saw Killester serve up 10 unanswered points, regained them the edge, and, while the lead swapped hands four more times down the stretch, it was the Dublin side who prevailed by the narrowest of margins in the end.
Stacey Walsh and Ali Maguire served up scores to see Killester take an early 4-0 lead, and they managed to maintain a narrow advantage for most of the opening quarter.
Claudia Canuto did play a big role in keeping Celtics in touch, draining three free throws and carding two baskets from the floor to restore parity at 11 points apiece.
Eleanor Fitzsimons, however, picked up one from the free throw to see Killester end the first period with a slight 12-11 advantage.
The two sides found themselves deadlocked twice in the second quarter, but a seven-point run over the closing four minutes propelled Killester back in front at 23-19 by the half-time recess, Walsh, Maguire and Aisling Sullivan contributing to that surge.
Yet Celtics hit the ground running in the second half, themselves, registering seven unanswered points, compliments of Niamh Masterson and Ailbhe Harrington.
A timely three from Sullivan did arrest that surge, but the Kildare side soon got motoring again with a further eight straight points that included buckets from Canuto and Rachel O’Carroll, along with a fine effort from beyond the arc by Niamh Masterson that helped see them take that eight-point cushion into the fourth quarter.
But this time, it was Killester who hit the accelerator, as Aisling Courtney and Sullivan struck from downtown in what were the hightlights of a ten-point run by the Dublin side.
A Niamh Masterson three did finally get Celtics going again four minutes into that final period, setting the stage for a nailbiting close to an enthralling tug-of-war that saw the two sides level three more times before Courtney drained two free throws to help nudge Killester four points clear.
And while Caoimhe Masterson did land a big three to cut the gap to one with just a second remaining, Celtics were unable to prise this game from the flames.
Sarah Courtney, Aisling Courtney, Ali Maguire, Eleanor Fitzsimons, Johanna Barbier, Stacey Walsh, Sinead Boyle, Aisling Sullivan.
Top Scorers: Aisling Sullivan (22), Stacey Walsh (11), Sarah Courtney (6), Ali Maguire (6).
Caoimhe Masterson, Rachel O’Carroll, Claudia Canuto, Niamh Masterson, Sarah Bradley, Karen Mealey, Ailbhe Harrington, Shauna Curran, Shauna Homan.
Top Scorers: Niamh Masterson (16), Claudia Canuto (13), Caoimhe Masterson (10).
