Panthers women still awaiting first Super League points after heavy loss to Glanmire
Chinwe Iwunze is fast settling in with her new team mates at Portlaoise Panthers
IT was a long trip home from Cork for Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers on Sunday as they again missed out on their first points of the new Domino’s Women’s Super League season when they went up against UCC Glanmire at Mardyke Arena.
Emani Jenkins proved more than a handful for the Portlaoise defence, as she emerged with a huge haul of 34 points and 15 rebounds, while fellow American, Tasia Jordan weighed in with a further 18 on the scoreboard for the hosts.
Indeed, Mark Scannell’s side finished with no less than four players in double figures, including Annaliese Murphy and Emer Dunne on 14 apiece, as they bounced back swiftly from their narrow two-point opening-day loss to defending Super League champions, Trinity Meteors.
For Portlaoise, it was a heavy defeat to a Glanmire side they will meet again in the quarter-finals of the WSL National Cup later this season, but they did leave behind a lot of scores, which if had been taken, would have made this a much closer affair.
Indeed, 13 of their 25 free-throw attempts went astray, while they were 35 percent from the field in a game that demanded a far higher return if they were to really put it up to a Glanmire outfit that proved more ruthless in almost every department.
Alyssa Vellas emerged Portlaoise’s top scorer on 21 points, with Chinwe Iwunze contributing a further 14, while Megan Dunne and Bria Shine made a significant impact under the boards with a combined 19 rebounds, but even that was not enough to seriously trouble their hosts.
A nine-point run early on for Glanmire saw Portlaoise quickly playing catch-up in this contest, as Emer Dunne twice struck in the paint either side of a treble from Murphy.
Scores from Velles, Holli Dunne and Elaine Kennington kept Panthers in touch, but they ended the first quarter facing a nine-point deficit (26-17) that was soon enlarged by way of an eight-point surge for Glanmire early in the second.
Velles and Iwunze punctuated that run with a much-needed treble each, but Glanmire pushed on again, hitting a further nine unanswered points, compliments of Dunne, Jenkins and Jordan, that helped see them into a 42-29 advantage by the half-time recess.
Portlaoise managed to gain some traction in the third, thanks in no small measure to Velles who drained attempts from the free-throw line as well as both sides of the arc.
But, with Jenkins serving up 14 points in that penultimate period alone, Panthers were unable to really loosen their opponents’ grip on this contest, which was only tightened as Glanmire served up another seven points without reply early in the fourth.
There was certainly no way back for the visitors, who were left nursing the wounds of a second defeat, as they now turn their attention to another huge road trip which will take them to Crescent College next Saturday for an encounter with the newly-promoted Limerick Celtics – another side still waiting to get off the mark in the league this season having lost out to both Liffey Celtics and Brunell.
Aine McKenna, Tasia Jordan, Lisa Krol, Katie Mae O’Neill, Annaliese Murphy, Mia Furlong, Katie Quinlan, Emani Jenkins, Emer Dunne.
Top Scorers: Emani Jenkins (34), Tasia Jordan (18), Annaliese Murphy (14), Emer Dunne (14).
Ruth O’Brien, Holli Dunne, Megan Dunne, Katie Rose Harrison, Jasmine Burke, Elaine Kennington, Chinwe Iwunze, Bria Shine, Alyssa Velles.
Top Scorers: Alyssa Velles (21), Chinwe Iwunze (14), Holli Dunne (9).
