Pres girls miss out
Basketball side reaches last eight
THE SENIOR basketball team from Presentation (Wexford) qualified for the All-Ireland quarter-final following two exciting wins over St. Andrew’s (Booterstown) and Piper’s Hill (Naas) two weeks previously in the play-offs.
Going into the game at the National Basketball Arena, they knew little about their opposition, but having overcome national cup finalists and beaten semi-finalists at the play-offs, the Presentation girls knew they were in with a good chance of causing yet another upset.
Mercy opened the scoring through the game’s top scorer, Gorman, before Ciara Dolan replied for Pres.
Gorman added a further three points before her sister got in on the act to see the Connacht side go five clear, before two fine shots from Maggie Regazzi pulled Pres. back into the game.
Gorman again cut through the Pres. defence to get a lay-up before Triini Jurisso, who was having a fine defensive game, got a lovely finish to end the quarter 9-8 in favour of the Sligo side.
The second quarter was dominated by Pres. as Regazzi, Jurisso, Ribh Sexton and Dolan all added baskets, while they held their opponents to a mere five points through Morgan and a three-pointer from Lacorte.
This saw Pres. hold a half-time lead of 20-14.
The westeners came back fighting at the start of the third quarter as they began to dominate the game and punish any Pres. turnover with a score. They were clinical in their finishing from the free throw line.
A basket from Jurisso stemmed the Mercy tide before Regazzi got a lovely basket and a free throw to salvage something from a third quarter that Pres. would rather forget.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Rita Redmond drove through for a great lay-up, and following a stop at the defensive end, Regazzi dribbled up unopposed to stop up outside the arc and coolly shoot a swish for three points to see the game tied up.
Jurisso then added a great finish to see the Pres. edge two points clear, but it was to be their last score as Mercy forced their way into the game and edged in front.
Pres. needed to try to engineer a play for a three-pointer with seconds left on the clock, but Mercy foiled their efforts and smartly played out the remaining seconds to book their place in the semi-final.
This Thursday the Presentation Under-16 team will meet Castletroy College in the All-Ireland semi-final at 1.45 p.m. in the National Basketball Arena.
Three of the Senior team are part of the Under-16 team, and hopefully the experience of last week’s Senior game will stand to them this week.
Presentation: Uisce Moroney (capt.), Maggie Regazzi (vice-capt.), Ciara Moore, Rita Redmond, Ribh Sexton, Ciara Dolan, Triini Jurisso, Kennedy Cullen, Rita Redmond.