Portlaoise women fall short again despite late surge against Trinity
Portlaoise Panthers Women's Super League team which lost out to Trinity Meteors at the weekend Photo: David Maher
Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League
Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 60
Trinity Meteors 71
DESPITE a strong surge in the fourth quarter, Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers were unable to salvage a desperately-needed win in this season’s Domino’s Women’s Super League when they welcomed Trinity Meteors to St. Mary’s Hall on Saturday night.
Trailing by 14 points at the close of the third, Portlaoise hauled themselves back to within five of their Dublin rivals with just over four minutes remaining, but Trinity held firm down the stretch, Kylie Horstmeyer and Catherine Connaire both making the most of their trip to the free-throw line in the closing minute to help see the visitors over the line.
It’s now eight league defeats on the bounce for Panthers, who will be hoping to buck that trend when they play host to the winless Catalyst Fr. Mathews in their closing game to 2025 next Sunday.
Their last victory in the league came against the Cork side on the opening day of the season back in October, and they very much need a repeat of that when they face them again on their home court this weekend.
An increase on their return from the three-point line would certainly be welcome for Panthers, who struggled again from downtown on Saturday, converting just 19 percent of their attempts from long range.
Jessica Fressle and Christiana Ojide Boiko each picked up 13 points for the hosts on the inside, while Aylssa Velles did hit nine of her 11-point total from the other side of the arc, but it was not enough to inspire Portlaoise to victory.
Indeed, Hazel Finn proved a real thorn in their side on Saturday, the Ireland senior international amassing 25 points, while Horstmeyer and Ava Learn weighed in with a further 30 for the visitors.
It was a sound start for Panthers in this game, as buckets from Megan Dunne, Fressle and Boiko helped them into a 6-2 lead with less than two minutes gone.
But baskets from Horstmeyer and Learn, together with a nice treble from Sarah Kenny edged Trinity in front for the first time just over a minute later, and it was a lead they refused to relinquish.
Learn served up six points, with Horstmeyer and Finn each adding four, as Trinity took a narrow 17-14 lead into the second quarter.
Franciska Treiliha opened that period with two free throws for the visitors before Learn added the same amount from the floor.
And, while Panthers worked hard to stay in touch through scores from Shauna Dooley, Velles and Lynn Tunnah, Trinity steadily enlarged the deficit, helped by two free throws and a nice treble from Finn.
Ten points separated the sides at the break (36-26), Portlaoise managing to halve their arrears as Fressle and Megan Dunne converted in the paint before Boiko produced an ‘and one’.
But Trinity regained control of the tie by way of an 11-point surge that featured buckets from all areas of the court by Finn.
Fressle put up a deuce to end a run of almost four minutes without a score for Portlaoise, who still trailed 53-39 by the close of the third quarter.
But Peter O’Sullivan’s side refused to throw in the towel and opened the fourth with seven unanswered points, compliments of Sarah Fleming, Shauna Dooley and Tunnah.
Further scores from off the three-point line by Velles and Tunnah had the gap down to five, and plenty of time still left for Portlaoise to turn this game around.
But Meteors demonstrated impressive composure to see out this contest, Finn draining a big three with just over two minutes remaining, before Horstmeyer and Catherine Connaire held their nerve for a full-return from the free-throw line, as Trinity improved their record to 6 and 3 to remain joint second in the table.
MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Christiana Ojide Boiko, Jessica Fressle, Sarah Fleming, Alyssa Velles.
Top Scorers: Jessica Fressle (13), Christiana Ojide Boiko (13), Alyssa Velles (11).
TRINITY METEORS: Hazel Finn, Catherine Connaire, Sarah Kenny, Helena Keane, Ciara Mulligan, Aisling Moran, Franciska Treiliha, Ava Learn, Kylie Horstmeyer.
Top Scorers: Hazel Finn (25), Kylie Horstmeyer (18), Ava Learn (12).
