Gritty Portlaoise outstripped in second half by defending champions Killester
Jessica Fressle was disappointed that Portlaoise Panthers lets their performance slip in the final quarter against Killester Photo: Paul Dargan
KILLESTER 70
MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS 52
WHILE Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers certainly put it up to Killester in the opening half of their Women’s Super League clash in Clontarf on Saturday evening, they lost sight of the defending champions in the second and consequently shipped their first defeat in three outings.
While just a solitary point separated the two sides at the half-time recess, Portlaoise saw that gap widen steadily over the closing two quarters, during which they were restricted to a total of 19 points.
Samanthya Haiby proved a lot more effective for the hosts in the second half, putting up 14 points to take her tally to a game-high 24, while Ieva Bagdanaviciene drained four of her five efforts from off the three-point line on her way to a 14-point total by the close of proceedings.
Jessica Fressle prove a handful for the Killester defence with 22 points, but there was just not enough of a supply from elsewhere to prevent the hosts pulling clear after the break, despite a very impressive display under the boards by Amy Dooley - the Ireland international mopping up a huge 17 rebounds.
While disappointed she and her team mates were unable to make it three wins on the bounce in the top tier, Fressle insists there were plenty of positives to take from the performance.
“I thought we played really strong against Killester,” she told the . “They’re always a strong team to go up against, but our first half was as tough as we could have made it.
“We had a few lapses on defence and offence, and, in Super League, every possession matters. The game ended in an 18-point loss, but that doesn’t reflect the kind of game it was.
“It really came down to a few critical possessions at the start of the fourth and we just didn’t win those. With a team like Killester, you have to win every possession and we just didn’t get over the line,” she sighed.
Killester’s Michelle Clarke and Portlaoise centre Dooley exchanged scores early on, setting the stage for a very tight opening half, that saw the visitors remain hot on the heels of the defending champions.
Clarke continued on to serve up eight points for the hosts in the opening quarter, the remaining six coming from beyond the arc, while Destiny Strother and Hannah Thornton each put up four in that period.
Yet Fressle was equally as effective for the Panthers, executing from both sides of the arc, including the free-throw line, for a nine-point total over the initial 10 minutes, and it was only a late three from Bagdanaviciene that separated the sides heading into the second quarter (21-18).
The Dublin side continued to struggle to shake off their opponents, despite managing to open up a six-point gap when Haiby chalked up a couple of quick inside scores.
Indeed, two free throws and a huge three by Fressle, either side of an Alyssa Velles deuce, helped haul Portlaoise back to within just one point of their hosts (34-33) by the half-time recess.
Yet, helped by a six-point run that consisted of two timely threes by Bagdanaviciene, Killester did manage to put a little daylight between themselves and their Laois opponents in the third.
And, while Velles struck from downtown and Fressle from the paint to bring it back to five, Killester got going again through Clarke and Haiby to move ten clear.
Ciara Byrne did take two from the line before Fressle struck again from the floor to pare that deficit back slightly to eight points (52-44) by the start of the fourth.
But Panthers struggled to prise away their opponents’ grip on this tie as Haiby drained buckets from both sides of the arc to push Killester’s advantage out to 15 with just over five minutes remaining.
And, while Ciara Byrne responded with a nice three, it failed to spark a much-needed surge by Panthers down the stretch, Killester, instead, applying the gloss to the final scoreline with buckets from Sara Lopez and Maeve O Seaghdha.
Portlaoise will now look to put that result behind them as they prepare to host a hugely-improved Utility Trust St. Paul’s team next Sunday in a game that could have a big bearing in the shake-up for play-off berths this season.
KILLESTER: Destiny Strother, Michelle Clarke, Samantha Haiby, Leilani Turner, Sarah Courtney, Ali Connolly, Ieva Bagdanaviciene, Hannah Thornton, Maeve O Seaghdha, Sara Lopez.
Top Scorers: Samantha Haiby (24), Ieva Bagdanaviciene (14), Michelle Clarke (13).
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 (22), Alyssa Velles (10), Amy Dooley (8).
