Battling Panthers fall just short in ferocious Super League battle with Wildcats

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 70 

SETU Waterford Wildcats 75 

MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers served up another ferocious battle, but were again left empty-handed for the sixth straight game in this season’s Domino’s Women’s Super League when they welcomed SETU Waterford Wildcats to St. Mary’s Hall on Saturday evening.

Down by 14 points early in the second quarter, the home side fought their way back into a one-point lead with six minutes remaining in the tie.

But, despite an impressive 24-point haul by Alyssa Velles and a further 18 points and 13 rebounds by Jessica Fressle, Peter O’Sullivan’s side fell short of seeing this one out, as Waterford came up strong again down the stretch, helped no end by Alyssa Frescas and the game-high 30 points she bagged on the day.

Still Panthers boss, O’Sullivan remained upbeat after the game, telling the Laois Nationalist “We put in our best quarter tonight in the third to get ourselves back in the game, but we need to try and manage the game better at times to get ourselves over the line in those close games,” he said.

It was certainly not the ideal start for Portlaoise as they shipped the opening eight points of the game, Frescas immediately making her presence felt for Wildcats with two huge threes after Sanija Brikmane had got them off the mark from inside.

Fressle did get the home side up and running when she put two free throws through the string, but Waterford remained in the driving seat, thanks in no small measure to a six-point run that included buckets from Frescas and Sarah Hickey.

Ciara Byrne did land a sublime triple for the home side with 11 seconds to go in that initial quarter, but Melissa Stone responded in kind right on the buzzer for Waterford to help see them lead 21-9 at the end of that period.

The second proved pretty much tit-for-tat right the way through, Tiarra Brown’s two free throws being cancelled out in the same manner by Byrne early on in that period.

Velles, Megan Dunne, Fressle, Christiana Boiko and Holli Dunne also got in to card buckets for Panthers, but Brown’s seven in that quarter, together with fine efforts off the three-point line by Kate Hickey and Brikmane helped ensure Waterford remained in control at 36-23 by the half-time recess.

It looked like more of the same was in store for the third as another Frescas three was met with a deuce by Fressle early on in that half.

But a huge score from beyond the arc by Lynn Tunnah sparked a brilliant 16-point run for Panthers that also featured a three from Velles and scores in the paint by Fressle that served to level the game at 41 points apiece with three-and-a-half minutes to go in that penultimate period.

Megan Dunne landed a deuce to nudge the hosts in front by as much, but yet another triple by Frescas, coupled with two from Brown saw Wildcats take a narrow 48-45 lead into the fourth.

It set the stage for a nail-biting final 10 minutes as Panthers restored parity at 50 points apiece following another effort by Velles from downtown.

Waterford edged back in front courtesy of Frescas and Brikmane, but the home side remained very much on their heels and even edged in front by a point as Velles continued to deliver from both sides of the arc.

But Wildcats managed to establish a little breathing room down the stretch following a seven-point run fuelled largely by Frescas.

Panthers, however, kept on battling and twice reduced their arrears to a solitary point with just over a minute remaining after Tunnah, Boiko and Velles delivered in the paint and from the perimeter.

But Waterford held steady thanks to the ability of Brown and Frescas to take their chances from the free-throw line with baskets that dragged their side over the line.

While Saturday’s result may well be regarded as another missed opportunity to return to winning ways, Portlaoise will be hoping to stem a run of six straight defeats when they make the trip to Neptune Stadium on Sunday for tough assignment against UCC Glanmire in the last eight of the National Cup.

“There have been plenty of positives to take from the last two games going into the cup quarter-finals next weekend,” insisted Portlaoise boss, O’Sullivan. “If we can put a more rounded performance together then hopefully we’ll be right in it,” he added.

MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Christiana Ojide Boiko, Jessica Fressle, Sarah Fleming, Alyssa Velles.

Top Scorers: Alyssa Velles (24), Jessica Fressle (18), Christiana Ojide Boiko (8).

SETU WATERFORD WILDCATS: Kate Hickey, Helena Rohan, Sarah Hickey, Aoife Brett, Miriam Rasenberger, Sanija Brikmane, Alyssa Frescas, Melissa Stone, Tiarra Brown.

Top Scorers: Alyssa Frescas (30), Tiarra Brown (17), Sarah Hickey (10).