What a weekend for our U18 Girls in Cavan as they pursued a quarter final spot in the National Cup. Standing in their way were Tramore, Liffey Celtics and Killester in the Group Stage on Saturday. The girls started off the day with a game against South East rivals Tramore who they are very familiar with. This was a very challenging game and one that our girls needed a win to open their account with a win. The girls duly delivered with a huge performance in the game led by National League players Aimee O'Reilly, Caoimhe Timmons and Lena Zydek. Final score in this one was Kilkenny Stars 67 vs Tramore 23.
Next up were Liffey Celtics who are a powerhouse in Irish Ladies basketball but they were not able to contain The Stars girls who were very determined that they would get through this group phase on top. Again led by the National League girls and ably assisted by Emily Lauhoff, Lucy Coomey and Sarah Burke the girls were fantastic throughout and put in a professional performance to take the win on a final score of Kilkenny Stars 67 vs Liffey Celtics 38. This was a real team effort and club stalwarts Jill Dempsey and Katie O'Keeffe helped get this one over the line along with Juno Vanhengel.
Last up on the day was a very tough test against Killester who are giants in Irish basketball, the prize on offer was a spot in the semi final of the Cavan Eagles tournament. Aimee O'Reilly once again showed her class and hit a game high 29 points in this one with an outstanding performance backed up by Caoimh Timmons who chipped in with 14 points of her own. Aoibheann Walsh was ever present on the day putting in big defensive performances and working hard for her team while Kayla Wall stepped up to make a solid contribution. The girls finished strong in this game and ran in winners with a scoreline of Kilkenny Stars 58 vs Killester 49.
Coach Puff Summers was extremely happy with his squads offensive execution on the day and as always was proud of their defensive efforts. Pizza and early night with a big day ahead on Sunday!
Next up in the tournament semi final were Kerry outfit St Mary's who had previously beaten Stars in a game in the All Ireland League so a thrilling battle on the cards. The Stars shot out of the traps with a 5 point lead at the end of the first quarter followed by a stormer of a second quarter saw the girls head in at half time with a commanding 21 point lead. St Mary's rallied in the second half but it was not enough to stop the Stars juggernaut who kept on pushing and came out with a win on a scoreline of Kilkenny Stars 59 vs St Mary's 45. A mouth watering tie with one of the top teams in the country awaited, Tolka Rovers.
Once again the Stars took the game by the scruff of the neck early on. Caoimhe Timmons lit up the hall with her performance in this one as she notched 22 points in the game with Aimee O'Reilly and Lena Zydek combining for another 22 points in the game. Coach Summers needed performances across the team for this one and the girls did not disappoint. Lucy Coogan chipped in with 5 points and Amie Leigh/Kayla Wall added a combined 5 between them also. Once again Aoibheann Walsh was immense for the Kilkenny Stars despite a comeback from Tolka Rovers they could not reclaim the lead at any stage of the game. The Stars held out for a fantastic victory winning the game on a tight scoreline of Kilkenny Stars 54 vs Tolka Rovers 52.
This win sets the girls up for a Quarter Final home draw at the end of the month against Tralee Magic. Details of this game will be circulated once confirmed.
A huge thanks is due to Coach Puff Summers and club legend Grainne Timmons who both made sure that this team were well prepared and wanted for nothing for the weekend. Thanks also to our fantastic sponsor of this team Robert Quinn LTD who made sure that the girls had the best of gear for their exploits on the national stage.
Speaking on behalf of Robert Quinn LTD, Mr Adrian Burke said that "we are so proud to be associated with this great group of girls, coaches and club. They carry our name on their kit and they all carry themselves with great dignity, spirit and respect on and off the court. They are a credit to their parents and the club. Massive congratulations to Puff and Grainne who coach, train, mentor and guide each player. We are looking forward to the quarter final in the coming weeks."
