UL BASKETBALL will once more have a shot at a double cup win for season 2013. Both the UL Eagles (Men’s team) and UL Huskies (Women’s team) have qualified for their respective SuperLeague National Cup finals after impressive semi final wins last weekend.
The finals, which take place on Friday January 25 in Cork, will see UL Huskies facing Team Montenotte Hotel, while the UL Eagles will face Bord Gais Neptune.
UL Huskies will be back to defend the Women’s SuperLeague Cup they won last year when they easily saw off the challenge of WIT Wildcats in Neptune Stadium 85 to 46.
There was a frenctic start to the game as both teams came out firing, Huskies getting the slightly better start up 8 to 6 after the early exchanges.
Huskies are not used to letting teams hang around however and a major spurt by Rachel Vanderwal, who would finish the first quarter with eight points and good offensive rebounding from Aoife McDermott, pushed the Limerick ladies out in front.
Smelling blood early, Rachel Clancy punished Wildcats collapsing defence with two long range efforts and despite a battling first quarter, WIT found themselves trailing 24 to 11 going into the second.
All told, the score was 54 to 16 when the half time buzzer finally sounded and in truth the game was over a contest.
Such is the depth in talent within the UL side however, there was not let up in the performance as players must inevitably have been thinking about securing court time in the final.
The final score was a somewhat deflating 85 to 46 domination from Huskies that served definite notice they are intent on defending the crown won last January.
Meanwhile in the Men’s, a scrappy, low-scoring hard-fought semi-final saw defending champions UL Eagles advance, against a gamey UCD Marian.
Eagles started the game anything like defending champs with a disjointed first quarter effort that saw them register just ten points on only 25 per cent shooting with Marian doing little better but ahead by five with a score of 15.
While neither team lacked for any effort and there was plenty of superb skill on display, the ball would simply not drop for any player on a regular basis and incredibly neither team managed to break the 30 point mark by half time, the score at the break 28 to 25 in favour of Eagles.
Defence continued to dominate the affair in the second half as a frustrated Scott Kinevane tried to single handily up the game-tempo by pushing the fast break at every opportunity. While the pace quickened, the scoring did not meaning neither side was able to break free of the other, setting up a second grand-stand finish in a row in the Neptune Stadium.
A monstrous block and subsequent score of his own by UL American Rob Taylor indicated that he may take over the game but he was quickly answered by a corner three pointer by Marian’s Thomas Vigliano that served notice the challengers from Dublin would not be so easily set aside.
With under a minute to go and the teams tied Eagles captain Neil Campbell hit a crucial go ahead basket. Marian had chances to respond but as had been the case missed open looks. Taylor then benefited from a contentious call while driving to the basket on the next play allowing him to seal the contest at the free-throw line.
UL Eagles 58 (28) (N Campbell 15, S Kinevane 14, R Taylor 14) UCD Marian 50 (25) (T Vigliano 14, C Meany 10, N Meany 8)
UL Huskies 85 (54) (R Vanderwal 22, S McGorry 16, R Clancy 13) WIT Wildcats 46 (16) (N Mullaly 25, T Condrey 15, S Deegan 2)
Final fixtures:
Friday January 25
Women’s SuperLeague National Cup Final
UL Huskies v Team Montenotte 18:45
Men’s SuperLeague National Cup Final
UL Eagles v Bord Gais Neptune (Cork), 20:45
(Match reports and scores courtesy of Basketball Ireland)
