Rosbercon school bridges a long gap
OUR LADY OF LOURDES 30
RAMSGRANGE C.S. 18
OUR LADY of Lourdes captured their first Minor South East basketball title since 1997 when they played Ramsgrange Community School in the first year girls’ final which took place in the Mercy Secondary School in Waterford.
The game started at a blistering pace with both teams seeming very frantic in the opening exchanges, looking to settle into the game the fastest.
O.L.O.L. were first to get off the mark with an inside score from Marita Kennedy, but Ramsgrange quickly responded with a great drive to the basket by Aideen Sondors-Foley.
During the first quarter, Ramsgrange seemed to be adapting to the game better than the Rosbercon girls who were struggling to come to terms with their rivals’ strong zone defence.
Ramsgrange’s Aisling Gabbett got another basket for her side before Rosbercon’s Julia Halicka converted a close-range shot to keep her team level going into the second quarter.
The second quarter allowed Ramsgrange’s Jaime Walsh show off her speed as she converted two fantastic drives to the basket and seemed involved with every play from her team.
O.L.O.L. were struggling a little offensively and failed to score from play in this quarter due to the good defensive play. Anna Phelan scored their only point when she converted from the free throw line to keep her team within touching distance.
The half-time score was Ramsgrange 8, Our Lady of Lourdes 5.
Going into the second-half it was anyone’s to play for. The third quarter saw O.L.O.L’s co-captains, Kirsten Kenny and Sinéad Currran, lead by example within the first minute or so to get their team into the lead for the first time.
This seemed to spur the Rosbercon girls on and give them that little bit of confidence they seemed to be lacking in the first-half.
Ramsgrange were also finding it hard to contain O.L.O.L’s point guard, Julia Halicka, and began to get themselves into team fouls. This resulted in free throws, which Halicka gladly put away.
Ava White-Keating and Orlaith Butler kept Ramsgrange within two points, but Halicka once again drove to the board, missed the shot, got her own rebound and scored on the buzzer to give her team a 16-12 lead going into the final quarter.
With the tension growing and the supporters getting louder, the fourth quarter started where the third had left off.
Quick scores from Julia Halicka and Aisling Ryan extended the lead which gave Rosbercon a bit of a cushion going into the last few minutes.
A fine baseline drive by O.L.O.L’s Kenny gave her team a ten-point lead with three minutes to go on the clock.
Ramsgrange weren’t about to give up just yet and scores from Jaime Walsh and Ava White-Keating gave them some hope.
However, three more scores from the Rosbercon side meant that there was no comeback and they ran out 30-18 winners.
Co-captains Kirsten Kenny and Sinéad Curran were presented the Minor ‘C’ trophy by President of Basketball Ireland, Theresa Walsh, in front of a large crowd of Our Lady of Lourdes students, teachers and parents.
Next up for the team is a place in the All-Ireland play-offs on April 23 in the O’Loughlin Gaels Hall in Kilkenny where they will be vying for a place in the semi-finals.
O.L.O.L.: Kirsten Kenny (4), Sinéad Curran (2), Julia Halicka (19), Aisling Ryan (2), Marita Kennedy (2), Ciara Mullally, Anna Phelan (1), Aoife O’Brien, Niamh O’Connor, Nicole McGrath, Keela Cassin, Elaine Aspel. Coach: Daphne Kennington. Assistant coach: Sarah Coughlan.
Ramsgrange: Ava White-Keating (4), Orlaith Butler (4), Eireann SondersFoley, Aideen Sonders-Foley (2), Jaime Walsh (6), Isobel Kane, Jenna Molloy, Ruby Murphy, Anois Giona, Aisling Gabbett (2), Michaela Sinnott, Aine Swan. Coaches: Nichola Culleton and Emer Scanlon.