SCR Portlaoise 50 Presentation Kilkenny 36
Midlands/South-East Regional U-16 ‘A’ Basketball
Championship Final
Scoil Chriost Ri are Midlands/South-East Regional U-16 ‘A’ Basketball Champions after a tremendous comeback win against arch rivals, Presentation Kilkenny in the final held recently in St Mary’s Sports Hall.
A Kilkenny win looked the only outcome after the first quarter in which SCR failed to score and found themselves nine points down.
However, what followed will go down as one of the great comebacks in the school’s proud history.
They continued to play with massive intensity, never panicked and slowly came to grips with the game, reducing the deficit to seven by half time.
SCR then produced a magical third quarter. Having not scored in the first quarter they hit a massive 23 points in eight minutes to go from seven points down to eight up.
Although rattled and 36-28 down, Kilkenny rallied strongly in the final quarter.
But the momentum was with the Laois girls who ran out 14-point winners, completing an incredible 2-point turnaround.
Co-Captain Emily Abrama top scored with 25 points, including a remarkable seven three-pointers, but it was the sustained intensity of the whole team that got them over the line.
They now look forward with confidence to the All-Ireland qualifiers, starting on January 10 when they will host Loreto Dalkey and Pres Castleisland.
SCR PORTLAOISE: Emily Abrama, Cara Phelan, Amarachi Obi, Sarah Donoghue, Ellen Fitzpatrick, Mia Delaney, Grainne Coleman, Kara Powders, Rhea Flanagan, Afric Hennessy.
COACHES: Pat Critchley, Hannah Bailey, Kate Jacob, Kirsten Maher.
It has been a very busy year so far for SCR Basketball.
The Senior A team won all their group games before losing narrowly by four points in the regional semi-final to eventual winners Pres Kilkenny.
They lost away to Mounthawk in Tralee in the All-Ireland Cup Quarter-Final after a hard-fought encounter.
The Regional U-16 ‘A’ Champions had a heartbreaking loss by three points away to Malahide in the cup quarter-finals having got into foul trouble early in the game.
The U-15 ‘A’ Cup team had a very costly slow start against Pres Kilkenny in the All-Ireland Qualifying Tournament in SCR on Mon December 10.
They trailed 14-4 and although they reduced the lead to three Kilkenny eventually won by nine points.
SCR followed up with strong wins against St Mary’s Naas 58-31 and Teresian Dublin 56-34 but finished second in the Tournament to Pres Kilkenny with only one team qualifying.
There was a great effort and commitment by the Senior and U-16 ‘B’ teams this year.
They went out at Regional quarter-final stage and will finish their season with the Laois Blitzes.
Meanwhile the First-Year, Second-Year and U-14 ‘A’ Cup teams are shaping up really well for their championships after Christmas.
SEE ALSO – LoveLaois Podcast: Transition Year Series – Joe Larkin (Portlaoise CBS)
