U16 A Girls All Ireland Schools
League Final
Coláiste
Éinde (Galway): 47 Coláiste Chiaráin (Kildare): 34
Galway’s
Coláiste Éinde made it an U16 A Girls Cup and League double this season, thanks
to a 47-34 point win over Coláiste Chiaráin of Leixlip in the All Ireland
League final yesterday.
The
win adds another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet, having scooped
the Subway Schools Cup title back in January, but it certainly wasn’t an easy
win for the Galway side, with Coláiste Chiaráin putting up a fight all the way
through to the final buzzer.
Coláiste
Éinde’s Aoibhinn Walsh was a huge presence on the court, not only finishing the
game with 20 points for her side, but doing superb work on defense and notching
some key scores at vital stages of the game to keep her side’s noses in front.
She was ably supported by the in-form McCleane sisters, with both Ava and Kara
hitting eight points apiece on the day in an all round good team performance.
Coláiste
Chiaráin came into the game without the services of Irish underage
international, Caoimhe Masterson, who was ruled out of the clash due to injury,
but Emma Scully, Emily Smyth and Ailbhe Harrington certainly stepped up to the
mark on the day, putting in a superb composed performance to keep the game on
tender hooks throughout. A close and tough first quarter saw great scoring from
Coláiste Chiaráin’s Scully and Smyth, as they began to make their presence felt
at both ends of the court. Ava and Kara responded at the other end, and good
work from Walsh saw her side into a 16-13 lead going into the second.
A
big second quarter from the Galway side, led by Kara McCleane, saw them began
to find some space on the scoreboard, with McCleane and Walsh both on target to
widen the gap out to 26-18 at the half.
A
nip and tuck third quarter followed, with Scully and Smyth beginning to
dominate once more at the other end. A huge three pointer from Smyth closed the
gap further, but points from Ailbhe Lisa Hanney and Walsh helped Coláiste Éinde
keep their edge, 33-27, going into the last.
Despite
a huge push from Coláiste Chiaráin in the fourth quarter though, Walsh, Hanney
and the McCleane sisters continued to tick the scores in, and managed to hold
on to win out 47-34 and claim their second All Ireland title in two months.
COLÁISTE ÉINDE (GALWAY): Aoibhinn Walsh (20),
Katie Beatty (2), Ilena Davoren (1), Jane Roche, Ellen Power (4), Ava McCleane
(8), Kara McCleane (8), Lucy Hynes, Grace Webb, Katie Dooley, Ailbhe Lisa
Hanney (4), Eva Hackett
COLÁISTE CHIARÁIN (KILDARE): Emma Scully (17), Amy
Kelly (2), Ailbhe Harrington (5), Emily Smyth (10), Rachel Ibrahim, Christine
Montcheu, Nel Ann Laurente, Caoimhe Masterson (inj.), Beatrice Braescu Cojocary
MVP: Aoibhinn Walsh (Coláiste Éinde)
Coláiste Éinde no 4 Aoibhinn Walsh who was named MVP with 20pts
Coláiste Éinde no 9 Ava McCleane receives the trophy from PJ Reilly
