Cummunity Games U-16 basketball county titles for Castleisland girls and Rathmore/Gneeveguilla boys

THE Under 16 Girls Basketball competition was played on Saturday in Duagh Sport & Leisure Complex with eight teams playing for Under-16 County title.

There was some fantastic games played throughout the day with Castleisland and Kenmare topping their groups to reach the final and Currow / Currans playing off for third and fourth place.

The play-off game was a high paced game with all players doing their best with Currow / Currans winning by one point to claim bronze. The final proved to be an entertaining game with both sides show-casing their talented players, neither side were going to give up easy, with three minutes to go Castleisland surged ahead and held on to retained their county title with the win.

1st Castleisland; 2nd Kenmare; 3rd Currow / Currans; 4th Rathmore / Gneeveguilla.

On Sunday – our final day of basketball – the boys took the floor, with high numbers again in this with 10 teams competing. In Group 1 Currow / Currans overcame Duagh and Spa / Fenit Barrow to reach the semi-finals, Rathmore / Gneeveguilla overcame Ballymac and Killarney, while in the third group Firies and Castleisland came through.

In the first semi-final Currow took on Firies and this was another great game with both sides going basket for basket, Currow held on to win by a point. In the second semi-final Rathmore / Gneeveguilla took an early lead over Castleisland and it proved too much for them to bring back and Rathmore ran out comfortable winner.

The play-off was between Castleisland and Firies who had meet earlier in the day Firies took advantage of an early lead again over the Castleisland boys and held on for the win.

Currow / Currans and Rathmore / Gneeveguilla put on the most exciting game of the weekend in the final. A good defensive start by both sides saw a low scoring but brilliantly contested first half 8-6 in favour of Currow.

The second half saw both sides take the lead on numerous occasions with the game finishing level 20-20 at full time. Three extra minutes were played and the players really gave it their all.

Currow got two free throws to take the lead so Rathmore / Gneeveguilla responded with a three-pointer to go ahead. With less than a minute left Currow scored a basket and a free throw to ahead by two again.

The clock was ticking down and the possession changed numerous times with no scores been added. With four seconds remaining Rathmore / Gneeveguilla scored to level the game again plus they had a free throw, which they scored to win the title.

1st Rathmore / Gneeveguilla; 2nd Currow / Currans; 3rd Firies; 4th Castleisland.