Scannell's UCC Glanmire celebrate back-to-back Superleague titles
The Address UCC Glanmire player Claire O'Sullivan with her eight month old daughter Emma celebrates after winning the Women's Super League after victory over Ulster Universary at The Mardyke Arena.Â
Ambassador UCC Glanmire are the MissQuote.ie Super League champions for the second straight season, after a brilliant 90-67 win over Ulster University in Cork.Â
Sunday’s coronation had no drama in it, as the champions-elect led 33-15 after the first quarter and never looked back. Since their loss to Meteors on the 22nd of October, Glanmire have won 12 straight games to claim the title with two games to spare. With a 15-1 record, the best offence in the league (88.1ppg) and the third best defence (71.5ppg) Glanmire have been comfortably the best team in league play and are deserving champions yet again.
Glanmire’s championship win is yet another achievement for Mark Scannell and his side. What is remarkable about the club’s consistent success is how Scannell has constantly evolved his teams. He has had incredibly talented Irish players from Michele Fahy to Marie Breen and Claire Melia to the Dwyer sisters, but Mark’s ability to consistently bring through young talent and empower players to shine for him, has led to the success. What’s even more incredible when you look back over the years is the players the club have lost overseas including the likes of Jessica Scannell and Orla O’Reilly who would have only added to the club’s silverware. This season Scannell got his recruitment right again with two excellent Americans who consistently tested other teams. On the home front, two Irish veterans, Claire O’Sullivan and Aine McKenna, have both had huge impacts on this title, with O’Sullivan (nee Rockall) in particular playing a massive role since Christmas. The duo, plus Scannell, deserve huge credit for the insatiable appetite for success and the only question remaining is whether they will all be back to do it again next year.
At halftime in Emporium Cork Basketball’s crunch game with Sligo All Stars, the home side trailed 47-43 and their recent slump in form looked set to continue. With their playoff position at stake Ballincollig showed incredible mettle to destroy Sligo in the second half. A matchup zone defence stifled Sligo who only managed 20 second half points, and the imported duo of John Dawson and Jose Gonzales combined for 55. Gonzales was instrumental in the opening part of the third quarter and Dawson once again showed the class that people know he is capable of.Â
The win sets Emporium Cork Basketball up nicely for a big trip to Dublin next weekend for a double header against Eanna and Killester. They likely need one if not both of the games to help secure their playoff spot. For a team that can shoot from the perimeter so well, Sligo still have to learn to manage games when they start to miss shots, as they played into Ballincollig’s hands with quick perimeter shots in the second half this week. Their playoff spot is not yet secured but a win at home to Moycullen next week, or a loss by St Vincent’s will do so.
Energywise Neptune put in another good performance in their home win against the Northern Conference’s top team Belfast Star. In an uncharacteristically low scoring game for both teams Neptune had more options available to them and were able to get over the line, 72-65. Star likely showed the blueprint to other teams on how to beat this Neptune team, if you can disrupt their rhythm and keep the pace of play down, then Neptune’s free flowing offence is restricted. For Belfast, despite a good overall performance, the worry remains that they don’t have a consistent non-American scorer. The only two players to score in double digits at the weekend were their two Americans who had to rotate for each other. In previous years 75-80 ppg would likely be able to win in the playoffs but with teams like Demons, Neptune, Maree and Eanna all with so much offensive ability Star may not be able to keep up. Belfast will likely need to do it by committee but with Max Cooper out the pressure will be on the Quinns and Richardson to carry the load.
For months Brunell were fighting hard but without an American to rely on they simply couldn’t beat good teams. Sunday’s home 75-72 win against Wildcats showed exactly the difference a good American can make as Akilah Bethel had 26 points. Bethel has an excellent pedigree and her eight points in the critical second quarter helped turn the game as Brunell went from eight down after ten minutes to two up going into the half. Edel Thronton was limited offensively to just 13 points but between herself, Lauryn Homan (15) and Bethel, Brunell just had enough. Wildcats will be disappointed as they got their best performance of the year from Jasmine Walker but Karli Seay was held to just seven. Tommy O’Mahony will look at the free throw disparity as an issue as his team shot 6/8 compared to Brunell’s 18/28.
Despite Brunell’s heroics at home, Liffey Celtics remain in the driving seat for the final playoff spot, thanks to their 100-85 home win over University of Galway Mystics. Karl Kilbride’s team had an amazingly balanced offence with six players scoring between 15 and 17 points for Liffey. Outside of the regular contributors Kate O’Flaherty’s four threes were very significant for the Celtics. O’Flaherty has long been recognised as a very talented shooter, who when she’s on can be a major force in the Super League. If O’Flaherty can give Liffey another consistent threat, it will make them one of the trickiest teams to face in the playoffs. Their spot in the playoffs of course still needs to be sealed but Fr Mathew’s loss this weekend makes it a two team race. Liffey own the head to head against Brunell, so Liffey’s one game lead is in reality a two game cushion. For Brunell to get in they need two wins and for Liffey to lose their remaining two. It’s unlikely but still possible.
As Tralee went into Saturday’s critical game against Killester they were likely worried by the absence of Daniel Jokubaitis, who has had a great recent run of form. They had nothing to worry about though as Killester’s injury problems continued and they had to line up without Paul Dick, Gregario Adon, Conroy Baltimore and Ciaran Roe. Tralee were able to overpower them and remain in the title hunt, while Killester’s strange season continues. It’s not impossible to think that Killester could go on a run in the playoffs but at the moment it looks like their season is spluttering to a frustrating conclusion where they may never get their core together for a three to four game run.
When people saw the recruitment that Flexachem KCYMS has brought in for this season, it would have seemed impossible that they could still be part of a relegation playoff at the end of the campaign. They can score with ease, but defensively they give up the most points of any team and that has caused all of their issues. Their four wins this season have all been by 14 points or more, which suggests that any time they are scoring well and front running they are fine. They have pushed good teams in recent weeks and are too good to be in a relegation battle but suddenly they are tied with Moycullen and the two teams play in the last game of the season in what could be the decider to see who will face UCD Marian in the relegation playoff. Moycullen had a brilliant win over Templeogue this weekend and would have the momentum amongst the three teams.
On form at the moment, it’s hard to look beyond the Southern Conference for a winner of the Men’s Super League. Arguably five of the top seven teams in the country at the moment are in the South. That balance means that a very good team (likely Tralee) will miss out on the playoffs. The Conference set up made sense during covid but an open league with each team playing each other twice makes more sense long term.
Away from the Super League, it’s worth just highlighting how incredible East Cavan Eagles first league in National League has been. They are currently 16-1 in the league and on Saturday beat St Paul’s Killarney in front of what is likely the biggest crowd any women’s league game has had in Ireland this year. The Show Centre set up is incredible and the town has clearly gotten behind the club as they strive to get to National League. Tralee’s return to the men’s Super League helped inspire a number of the men’s teams to improve their game presentation and to bring in bigger crowds. East Cavan Eagles could potentially do the same for the women’s league if they manage to get to the top table.
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