Emotional Trinity Meteors dedicate Superleague win to club stalwart Eamonn Prenter
TASTE IT: Trinity Meteors players celebrate their Domino's Women's Super League final win over UCC Glanmire at the National Basketball Arena. Pic: Tom Maher, Inpho
TRINITY Meteors secured their first premier division title in Irish basketball since 1993 with a thrilling six-point win over in-form UCC Glanmire at the National Arena Sunday. Ava Learn was the MVP, with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the victors.
It was a stunning win for Meteors head coach Seamas Donnelly who said: “Two great teams battling it out right to the final seconds, we just snuck it at the end through great defence. Credit to Glanmire, the quality they came back with, we were 10 points up with 10 minutes to go and they came back.
"It it is a great feeling. It is great for the club, but also on a personal level I’d like to dedicate it to Eamonn Prenter, who passed away and he would have been here today and thrilled for us.”
Trinity Meteors captain Catherine Connaire added; “It’s amazing, from start to finish every one of the girls - we knew it from the start that our depth was going to get us through. Like the last game (semi-final win against Killester), 23 points coming off the bench, the same again today, everyone put it all in and left it on the court, it’s amazing to get the win for the club.”
Trinity Meteors opened up an early seven point lead, 12-5, and would lead 17-15 by the end of the first quarter. A Watkins three brought parity at 22-22 apiece but Meteors would lead by four at half-time, Ciara Mulligan's jump shot making it 39-35.
Meteors opened up an eight point lead in the third quarter, 50-42, following Ava Learn’s three. Again UCC Glanmire closed the gap, Cumber’s third three of the contest left it at 50-48 at the midpoint of the quarter. A Watkins jump shot nudged Glanmire 53-52 up with a minute to go. Again Meteors pulled away, a fastbreak and layup from Finn, who converted the ‘and one’ after being fouled on the way to the basket, saw the Dublin club finish the quarter 59-54 ahead.
Trinity Meteors made it a 10 point game after two and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, Finn and Helena Keane linked up to make it 69-59. Two Claire O’Sullivan baskets and a McKenna three and free throw and it was a four point game once more, 71-67, after four minutes. An O’Sullivan three off the glass midway through the quarter and the deficit was just two, UCC Glanmire trailing 73-71.
An Ava Learn three from the top of the arc restored a five point led for Meteors, 78-73, with three and a half minutes to go. Learn downed two free throws with 39.9 seconds to go to make it 83-78, but Cumber came back with a big three. Meteors held their nerve, a Horstmeyer basket and two Finn free throws followed to secure the victory.
Hazel Finn (13), Catherine Connaire (0), Helena Keane (11), Martina Destro (DNP), Ciara Mulligan (4), Aisling Moran (8), Franciska Treiliha (5), Ava Learn (23), Kylie Horstmeyer (23)
Aine McKenna (11), Jessica O’Shea (0), Claire O’Sullivan (12), Annaliese Murphy (2), Mia Furlong (1), Jewel Watkins (29), Miriam Loughrey (0), Emer Dunne (4), Faye McDonnell (0), Viane Cumber (22).
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