Stunning comeback sees Tigers despatch Ballincollig from NICC Women’s National Cup
Tigers had a brilliant win away in Ballincollig
Tigers secured their place in the last 16 of the 2026/27 NICC Women’s National Cup after they fought back from nine points down in the closing five minutes to edge out hosts, Ballincollig in a thriller on Saturday night.
The Maynooth side served up a huge 15-point run on the homestraight, as Bethany Thompson struck from both sides of the arc, Orla Keoghegan punished from the free-throw line and Zara Sweeney and Niamh Langan executed in the paint to help pull off a remarkable comeback.
Laura Moynihan did prove a handful for the Tigers defence, draining no less than six attempts from downtown on her way to a 20-point total by the close of proceedings.
But Tigers were not short on big hitters of their own, with three of their players finishing in double digits, including Thompson who was just as effective off the three-point line, as she finished on a game-high 22, while Keoghegan and Smyth put up a further 25 between them.
For Tigers head coach, Mick Thompson, the resilience of his players is certainly not something new to him and he was delighted to see that tenacity again on show on the National Cup stage.
“This group of girls don't give up” he told The Kildare Nationalist. “They're great fighters and that's come into play from last season where they had a lot of big wins, having come back from being down.
“Last year we played Éanna and it took us triple overtime to win, so they're used to grinding it out. They know how to stay in it to the very end.
“And the players were delighted to get this victory. It's one of those ones where it was great to win and it would have been a tough one to lose, because we knew we were there or thereabouts. We just had to get that run” he said.
It was the visitors who made the early running, taking a five-point lead following big threes from Thompson and inside scores from Keoghegan.
But Ballincollig made a strong finish to the first quarter, with a 10-point surge that included three baskets from Yvonne Burgoyne and saw them take a 15-10 lead into the second period.
Tigers, themselves battled back, and the game was squared three more times before the Kildare side continued on to hit an additional six without reply through Niamh Smyth and Keoghegan, taking a 30-26 advantage into the break.
And a further eight-point run, that included free throws from Thompson and Smyth, along with a deuce from Julia Kirwan, left Tigers seemingly well in control at 38-26.
But this game was far from done, and a huge 16-point run for the hosts helped rocket them back in front 47-41 by the end of the third.
Tigers, however, managed to regain their poise and remain in touch with their opponents, although they still trailed 54-45 with just over five minutes left on the clock.
And that was when their defence took over, permitting their Cork opponents just two more points before the final buzzer, in which time they hit 15 without response, Keoghegan, Thompson, Langan, Sweeney and Michelle Darcy all contributing to that late surge to see the Maynooth side over the line.
The victory sets them up for a date with Drogheda Wolves in the last 16 of the competition after the Louth side stormed to a 73-38 triumph over Belfast Star in their first-round fixture in Ballymakenny College on Sunday night.
On the DLBB Senior One league front, Mick Thompson’s players have ignited their campaign, with a 50-37 victory at home against Meteors and a 67-43 defeat away to Oblates.
What’s more they will also be gearing up for a meeting with Meteors’ Division Two side in the opening round of the DLBB Senior Cup in Rosemont School on Thursday, October 29th.
Sarah Vaughan, Laura Moynihan, Jean O’Sullivan, Ava Lordan, Holly Kierans, Lily Wheelock, Yvonne Burgoyne, Siofra Burgoyne.
Laura Moynihan (20), Holly Kierans (9), Lily Wheelock (8).
Orla Keoghegan, Zara Sweeney, Bethany Thompson, Niamh Langan, Michelle Darcy, Niamh Smyth, Lisa Dunne, Leah Kelly, Julia Kirwan.
Bethany Thompson (22), Niamh Smyth (14), Orla Keoghegan (11).
