Pacers race away to cup hat-trick
Ballina Pacers, under-16 cup champions.
Mayo U16 Girls Basketball Cup Final
Ballina Pacers 50
Castlebar Comets 20
In Ballina Sports Centre
Ballina Pacers completed a hat-trick of Cup titles at the Mayo Underage Basketball Finals which were held recently.
The under-16 girls, under the experienced baton of Trisha Battle (still known to those of whose basketball awakening goes back to - let’s say the 80s - as Trish Naylor) ably assisted by Gearoid Leonard were flagged from the start of the season to be odds-on as title contenders.
The scoring power was just too much for a less experienced Castlebar Comets side who battled hard and never gave up but ultimately succumbed to a very strong Ballina side who had a spread of scorers and possess an array of upcoming talent.
Allied to their scoring power they had the physical strength to command the boards, and while the Castlebar girls could have added a few more baskets to their final tally, this was a commanding and impressive performance by the home team at the Ballina Sports and Leisure Centre and a tribute to the hard work the Pacers Club is putting in.
An indication of the spread of scoring power can be gleaned from the stats with three players on double figures led by Laura Newcombe (19), captain Amy Clarke (17) and Emma Devaney (11).
It was a tough day at the office for the Castlebar girls but, no doubt, lessons will be learned but they never balked under enormous pressure from serous Ballina team, Anja Heyl battled her heart out under the boards, Caitlin Burke, Roisin Moran and Molly Tiernan kept battling to the end.
The MVP award went to Pacers team captain, Amy Clarke.
