Girls’ emotional rollercoaster
A HEARTBREAKING defeat in their final league game was quickly forgotten as Our Lady’s College learned their 1st Year ‘A’ team had still finished top of the standings on points difference.
It means they have avoided having to play their own ‘B’ team in the knockout stages and the Drogheda sides now face off against St Raphaela’s (Stillorgan) and St Mary’s (Glasnevin) respectively in the two semi-finals.
The final game of the league pitted the Our Lady’s 1st Year ‘A’ side against St Mary’s and after a very physical first quarter there were no scores at all.
However, St Mary’s were first out of the blocks in quarter two and one of their taller player helped herself to eight points as the Boynesiders
struggled at both ends of the court.
Trailing 8-0, Our Lady’s got their game going somewhat in the third quarter and Lily Sheeran and Rama Harrak were both on target to halve the deficit.
The tenacious Eili Ryan was switched onto the danger player on the St Mary’s team and it was all to play for when she got on the scoresheet along with Aoife Kane.
Down the stretch the home side were in foul trouble and that put Glasnevin on the line a few times, yet a fine rebound by Ella Carter brought the deficit back to a single point and Our Lady’s would have drawn level but for a missed free throw.
Two successful free throws by the St Mary’s top scorer put three between the sides before Anitah Kembo scored with 11 seconds left and stole the ball back on the inbound. The Drogheda girls did manage to get another shot off, but it was all in vain as they finished on the wrong side of a 12-11 scoreline at the end of an epic battle.
This left a three-way tie at the top of Section A, but after the mathematics were done it was confirmed that Our Lady’s had still finished in top spot on points difference.
OUR LADY’S COLLEGE: Sarah Bäck-Herke; Ella Carter 2pts; Aisling Crinion; Nicole Flynn; Madison Gaffney; Ali Gardiner; Rama Harrak 2; Yasmin Ibrahim; Aoife Kane 2; Anitah Kembo 2; Leah McElearney; Catherine Moore; Sarah Red; Eili Ryan 1; Lily Sheeran 2.