Panthers succumb to fire power of unbeaten defending champions Killester
Even Jessica Fressle's 22 points was not enough to see Portlaoise Panthers over the line against Killester Photo: David Maher
ATTEMPTING a return to winning ways in the 2025/26 Women’s Super League at the expense of the unbeaten defending champions, Killester was always going to be a tall order for Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers, and it proved just that when they faced off in the Oblate Hall on Saturday evening.
Despite a strong closing 10 minutes, in which they outscored their hosts by 12, the heavy damage that the Laois side had sustained in the middle two quarters was to prove irreparable, as they shipped their fourth defeat in five games so far this season.
Killester, who had opened up a 12-point lead by the half-time break, effectively ensured their fifth straight win of the campaign when they added a further 17 to that advantage in the third.
Panthers did manage to keep last season’s Super League Player of the Year, Samantha Haiby relatively quiet on the scoring front with 12 points, but the American still mopped up a huge 15 rebounds and carded seven assists.
Killester, meanwhile, had other lethal finishers who could keep the scoreboard ticking, Hannah Thornton serving up 18 points, with Audrey Roden and Ieva Bagdanaviciene combining for a further 32.
It was too much for Panthers to contain, but Peter O’Sullivan’s side still battled right to the final buzzer, by which stage their own Jessica Fressle had totalled a game-high 22 points in addition to six rebounds.
Killester struck first in the opening minute as Bagdanaviciene and Thornton propelled them four points up before Alyssa Velles opened Portlaoise’s account almost three minutes in.
The hosts responded with eight unanswered points, Thornton picking up scores from the free-throw line and in the paint either side of a bucket from Roden.
But Panthers kept chipping away at that early deficit, two Velles trebles book-ending three baskets on the inside from Fressle that helped haul their side back to within three of the hosts (18-15) by the time the buzzer sounded to end the first quarter.
Portlaoise managed to square the tie at 18 points apiece in the opening minute of the second as Fressle got in again before Lynn Tunnah picked up one from the free-throw line.
But that would prove the closest the visitors would go to pulling off a Super League shock, as Killester pushed on again, Roden and Thornton each putting up a further seven before the break, with Haiby getting in for six to help send the Dublin side in at the half with a 43-31 cushion.
And they really went off in the third, six players getting on the scoresheet, as they outgunned Panthers by 17 in that penultimate period.
Both Michelle Clarke and Roden struck from downtown, while Haiby, Bagdanaviciene and Maeve O Seaghdha also kept the scoreboard ticking for the defending champions who headed into the fourth with a massive 29-point lead (73-44).
While Fressle did drain shots from both sides of the arc, Portlaoise were still struggling somewhat with their long-range shooting, with a 25 percent success rate for three that dipped to 21 by the close of proceedings.
That said, Portlaoise were doing a good job themselves of keeping their opponents off the three-point line, the Dubliners converting just three of their 24 attempts from that distance, but they were creating and executing a lot more on the inside.
And having effectively secured this game by the end of the third quarter, Killester were afforded the opportunity to spread court time in the fourth, during which Portlaoise recouped 12 points as Ciara Byrne picked up seven.
Having received a bye through to the quarter finals of the National Cup, Portlaoise head into a three-week break, hoping to regroup ahead of their return to Super League action at home against Brunell on Saturday 22 November.
Amy Elliott, Michelle Clarke, Samantha Haiby, Leilani Turner, Sarah Courtney, Sarah Power, Audrey Roden, Laura McFarland, Ieva Bagdanaviciene, Hannah Thornton, Maeve O Seaghdha.
Hannah Thornton (18), Audrey Roden (17), Ieva Bagdanaviciene (15), Samantha Haiby (12).
Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Amy Byrne, Elaine Kennington, Christiana Ojide Boiko, Jessica Fressle, Sarah Fleming, Alyssa Velles.
Jessica Fressle (22), Alyssa Velles (11), Lynn Tunnah (8).
