Portlaoise Panthers suffer President’s National Cup final heartbreak

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers 60 

Limerick Celtics 72 

IT was not to be for ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers, as they were undone by Limerick Celtics’ fourth-quarter surge that propelled them to victory in Saturday afternoon’s President’s National Cup Final in the National Basketball Arena.

Both sides were coming into this much-anticipated decider looking to preserve their unbeaten records this season, but it was Limerick who extended theirs at the expense of their Laois rivals, whom they outpaced down the stretch, AJ Williams delivering at just the right times for Celtics as he served up 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists to scoop the MVP award.

Eric Anderson fought tooth and nail on the inside for Portlaoise, himself equalling Williams’ game-high 25 points, while Xabi Arriaga weighed in with a further 12 and Liam Kinsella, James Phelan and Aleksandar Kovacevic each put up six.

But, while Jack Scully’s side did a solid job in holding the runaway Division One South Conference leaders to 72 given the array of weapons they possess in the likes of Williams, Finn Hughes, Abdul Wurie and Chima Obikwelu, they were just not getting enough return down the other end of the court, particularly in the fourth when Celtics hit the accelerator.

Up until then, Portlaoise more than managed to live with their opponents, a mere three points separating the two sides with just over six minutes to go in the game.

But a nine-point run that featured scores from both sides of the arc by Hughes along with a further two buckets for Williams, left Portlaoise 12 points adrift with just over three minutes left on the clock.

Panthers continued to battle, but the shots just would not drop for the North Conference table toppers who consequently shipped their first reversal of the season.

Yet, for a team that had never before even reached the semi-finals of this competition, there are no shortage of positives to take from this campaign, and Scully’s men will be looking to draw on all of them as they turn their attention back to their drive for the play-offs and, ultimately, the dream of promotion to the Super League.

ND AUDIT PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Cillian O’Connell, Dylan Dunne, James Phelan, Cormac Howson, Eric Anderson, Davin McEvoy, Kevin Donohoe, Gary Morrissey, Xabi Arriaga, Kyle Burke, Aleksandar Kovacevic, Liam Kinsella.

Top Scorers: Eric Anderson (25), Xabi Arriaga (12), James Phelan (6), Aleksandar Kovacevic (6), Liam Kinsella (6).

LIMERICK CELTICS: Eoghan Donaghy, AJ Williams, Martin Frawley, Finn Hughes, Matthew Barry, Chima Obikwelu, Abdul Wurie, Philip Kearney, Sean Ryan, Vadjikiba Dosso, Cian Gleeson, Jordan Hehir.

Top Scorers: AJ Williams (25), Finn Hughes (15), Chima Obikwelu (12), Abdul Wurie (12).