Overtime trauma for Tubbercurry girls in final
St Attracta's of Tubbercurry had victory snatched from their grasp in the final throes of their All-Ireland final at the National Basketball Arena.
It proved the most dramatic close to the opening day of the All-Ireland Schools League Finals in Dublin’s National Basketball Arena last Tuesday, as a late bucket delivered heartache upon the girls of Tubbercurry’s St Attracta’s Community School. Team captain Covenant Joy Fitzgerald clinched St Flannan’s College a thrilling 41-40 victory in the U16C Final, Fitzgerald’s basket taking her total on the day to 18 points for which she scooped the MVP award.
Rachel Frain equalled Fitzgerald’s game-high tally for Attracta’s, whose captain, Siofra McGuinness also served up some huge buckets on her way to a haul of 17, but they just fell short, as Fitzgerald made the most of a crucial offensive rebound to see her team prevail.
A free-throw from Fitzgerald, along with a Derrin Healy deuce, had St Flannan’s out of the traps first in this final, but it was St Attracta’s who led by the narrowest of margins (8-7) at the close of the first quarter.
Again St Flannan’s made the brighter start when they returned to the court, Aine Omoifo and Fitzgerald propelling them back in front, but Attracta’s remained right on their heels. Two buckets from Frain and another deuce from McGuinness had the game tied up again, and while the latter edged the Ennis side ahead again, Frain got in right on the buzzer to leave the contest on a knife-edge at 16 points apiece at the break.
Five unanswered points in the third quarter through Nicole Brett and McGuinness saw St Attracta’s retake the lead and while Fitzgerald got St Flannan’s moving again with points from the floor and free-throw line, it was the Sligo side who took a 25-21 cushion into the final period.
With two-and-a-half minutes gone in the fourth, St Flannan’s were facing a five-point deficit, but they began working their way back as Derrin Healy, Aine Omoifo and Fitzgerald all struck from the paint to see the Clare side overtake St Attracta’s by three with just 42 seconds left on the clock. That, however, was still enough time for McGuinness to produce a speculator three and send the game to overtime.
Again St Flannan’s nudged in front when Omoifo landed another basket and one from the free-throw line, but St Attracta’s hit back through Orlaith Scanlon and McGuinness to move two ahead with 32 seconds remaining.
The Ennis side was, however, handed a lifeline when Omoifo drew a foul and went to the line with nine seconds to go, converting the first of her two free throws. And, while her second rolled off, Fitzgerald was perfectly placed to mop up the rebound and put it back for a dramatic winning score leaving St Attracta’s nursing the pain of an extremely tough loss.
St. Attracta’s CS (top scores in brackets): Kate Taaffe, Sarah Kelly, Siofra McGuinness (17), Nicole Brett (3), Alannah Murtagh, Rachel Frain (18), Amy Vesey, Emer McGuinn, Maebh Kelly, Orlaith Scanlon. Head Coach: Anne Brett.
St Flannan’s College: Sophie Nagle, Aoibhinn McMahon, Sara Teodorowicz, Covenant Joy Fitzgerald (18), Kayla Moylan, Kadi Diallo, Derrin Healy (6), Aine Omoifo (9), Caoimhe Ryan, Chloe McArdle.
