Sport

Team Montenotte dethrone UL Huskies in classic National Cup final

Team Montenotte Hotel players Claire Rockall and Niamh Dwyer celebrate at the final whistle after the Cork side claimed victory in the Women’s National Cup final at the Arena in Tallaght, Dublin. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Team Montenotte Hotel players Claire Rockall and Niamh Dwyer celebrate at the final whistle after the Cork side claimed victory in the Women’s National Cup final at the Arena in Tallaght, Dublin. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Sat Jan 25 2014 - 01:00

The atmosphere in the National Basketball Arena was electric as spectators bore witness to a classic final as Team Montenotte Hotel defeated the reigning champions in overtime to be crowned Women’s National Cup champions.

Montenotte got off to the perfect start by taking the game to the Huskies and were rewarded when Claire Rockwell burst forward on three occasions to earn her team an early lead.

Series of fouls
A series of fouls by Montenotte saw momentum briefly shift to the Huskies when Cathy Grant and Fiona Lynch combined to open up the Montenotte defence with a series of baskets for the Limerick side.

Montenotte were made to pay for continuous foulingwhen a couple of free throws converted by Aoife McDermott gave the Huskies the lead for the first time, against the run of play.

A series of three-pointers either side of the first and second quarter by Amanda O’Regan and the Dwyer sisters, Gráinne and Niamh, helped Montenotte open up a 10-point gap.

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The Huskies struggled to cope with their opponents lightening quick attacking style and their attack didn’t fare much better either as time after time the Montenotte defence easily closed them down, with Louise Galvin and Rachael Vanderwal their only scorers besides McDermott.

The Cork side led by 12 points as the first half drew to a close.

Rockall’s continued excellence wasn’t enough to prevent a surging comeback from the Huskies at the beginning of the third period as they bombarded the Cork basket to draw the game level.

Further good work from the Dwyer sisters briefly put the Cork back into the lead until a total of seven free throws converted by Rachael Clancy gave the Huskies a one-point lead heading into the final quarter.

Montenotte point guard Áine McKenna helped Montennote hit back to draw level after the Huskies had increased their lead thanks to baskets by Galvin and Olympian Vanderwal at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

McKenna scored 14 points in quick succession to bring the game into overtime, but not before a controversial decision by the referee prevented Montenotte from winning the game in normal time as he judged that a last-minute basket by the Cork side had not beaten the buzzer.

Mattered little
In the end it mattered little as baskets from the game's MVP Gráinne Dwyer were sufficient to see Montenotte go on to win the game and the National Cup.

This match marked the first of what will be three appearances for Team Montenotte’s Sarah Kenny this weekend. The forward will also feature for Glanmire Ladies on both Saturday and Sunday in the U18 and U20 National Cup Finals, both of which will be against Singeton SuperValu Brunell. This will be the first time a player has ever played three different Cup Finals at three different age levels.

A victory for the Huskies would have meant they would have become only the second team to win six National Cup titles, but their defeat means that they will have to wait until next year to try and equal that record.