Fressle delights in seeing Portlaoise reach Women’s Super League playoffs 

Trinity Meteors 68 

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 74 

MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers forward, Jessica Fressle delighted in seeing her side secure their place in this season’s Domino’s Women’s Super League playoffs following a hard-fought victory over Trinity Meteors in Coláiste Íosagáin on Saturday night.

Having, only the previous week, edged a thrilling one-point victory away to The Address UCC Glanmire, this Portlaoise team again dug deep to card another big road win over a Trinity outfit that had already beaten them twice this season.

Saturday’s result served to put Panthers beyond the reach of playoff contenders, Catalyst Fr. Mathews and Utility Trust St. Paul’s, guaranteeing them a seventh-place finish at the very least.

Fressle was again to the forefront in their latest victory, racking up a huge 29 points and eight rebounds, while Alyssa Velles and Lynn Tunnah weighed in with a combined 30 on the scoreboard, and Ireland senior international, Amy Dooley took 13 boards.

Every bit of that contribution was needed to see the visitors prevail against a Meteors team that had twice beaten them in their own backyard this season when the met in the league and opening round of the Paudie O’Connor National Cup.

The Dublin side was crucially, however, not about to make it a clean sweep over their midland rivals, despite seeing three of their players hit double digits on Saturday, including Morgan Lenahan and Emma Merriweather on a combined 39 points.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” a delighted Fressle told the Laois Nationalist. “Last year our goal was to stay in the Super League, and, this year, it was to make playoffs, and we’ve accomplished that now.

“I think our goal has even jumped to make a run in the playoffs, and as long as we stick together and trust the process, I have no doubt we’ll continue to make an impact moving forward.

“There is, absolutely, a growing sense of confidence in the team. We always knew we were capable of competing at a high level, but to now see the results we have been working for, definitely gives us that extra boost going into the playoffs,” she smiled.

Saturday’s game proved a real tug-of-war from the outset, Portlaoise edging the opening quarter 19-17 during which Fressle put up nine points, while Tunnah and Velles also got attempts from beyond the arc to drop.

Yet Merriweather and Lenahan proved a real threat to the Portlaoise defence, the two chalking up a combined 21 points by the half-time break, but the visitors still managed to extend their lead slightly to four (39-35) by that stage.

And they remained out in front throughout the third, even extending their lead to eight when another big effort from downtown by Tunnah was followed up with a Fressle deuce.

Yet Trinity managed to pare that deficit back to five (54-49) by the close of the third when Katie Walshe picked up a timely bucket off the three-point arc.

And the hosts continued on to overtake into a two-point advantage with just over three minutes gone in the fourth, Merriweather and Lenahan each putting up a deuce before Ciara Mulligan drained a big three.

Portlaoise, nevertheless, demonstrated great resolve, as Fressle picked up two off the free-throw line before Velles executed from both sides of the arc to steady the ship.

And when Tunnah got in for a basket that nudged them back in front with 3:34 left on the clock, they refused to relinquish that lead, Ciara Byrne picking up a timely ‘and one’ before Velles harvested a further four from the free-throw line to keep Panthers clear right through to the final buzzer.

“We stuck to the game plan and stayed aggressive on defence,” remarked Fressle at the end of Saturday’s clash.

“All week we prepared for the pick and roll and I thought we executed the defence against it very well.

“Offensively, we moved the basketball really well and got it inside and out, because, we’re at our best when everyone touches the basketball in a possession,” she insisted.

Delighted with his side’s victory and securing a playoff berth, Portlaoise head coach, Peter O’Sullivan said: “The girls are performing to the level we expected at the start of the season.

“They’ve played the way we’ve asked them to and it has got them to the playoffs. We’re in a strong position now,” he said.

Portlaoise complete their regular season programme with a clash against the Number One seeds in the playoffs, SETU Waterford Wildcats in St. Mary’s Hall next Saturday evening.

TRINITY METEORS: Morgan Lenahan, Catherine Connaire, Lisa Blaney, Ciara Mulligan, Katie Walshe, Alexandra Mulligan, Franciska Treiliha, Grace Prenter, Emma Merriweather.

Top Scorers: Morgan Lenahan (21), Emma Merriweather (18), Grace Prenter (14).

MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Jessica Fressle, Amy Dooley, Alyssa Velles.

Top Scorers: Jessica Fressle (29), Alyssa Velles (17), Lynn Tunnah (13), Amy Dooley (9).