UCC Glanmire inflict more hurt on struggling Panthers in Women’s Super League

Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League UCC 

Glanmire 112 

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers 56 

MIDLANDS Park Portlaoise Panthers suffered their heaviest defeat of the season by a stretch, as their 56-point tally was doubled by UCC Glanmire when they two sides met in Domino’s Women’s Super League action at Mardyke Arena on Sunday.

The hosts finished the game with no less than five players in double figures, among them Viane Cumber on a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Annaliese Murphy and Jewel Watkins also inflicted some heavy damage on Peter O’Sullivan’s side with a combined 35 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Indeed, the Cork side have had Portlaoise’s number all season, surmounting them in both of their WSL encounters as well as the National Cup quarter-finals, by an average of 34.3 points, as they remain hot on the heels of Super League pace-setters Killester and Utility Trust St. Paul’s.

With just two players in double digits on Sunday, namely Lynn Tunnah (13 points) and Jessica Fressle (11), Portlaoise struggled to garner any sort of momentum in this game, finishing with a 33 percent conversion rate from the field.

Christiana Boiko’s deuce just 10 seconds into proceedings marked the only time that Panthers would find themselves in front in this tie, Watkins cancelling out that early bucket before Cumber propelled Glanmire ahead with a superb triple.

Tunnah did respond in kind for Portlaoise to level it up, but the hosts accounted for the next five points compliments of Claire O’Sullivan, Emer Dunne and Watkins to retake a lead they would refuse to relinquish.

That said, Panthers did manage to keep it tight in the opening quarter, Boiko and Megan Dunne converting from the paint, with Tunnah doing likewise from off the three-point line to leave just four between the sides (18-14) at the end of that first period.

A Ciara Byrne effort from downtown cut that gap to just the very minimum, but Glanmire responded with the next seven points, including a deuce and three from Annaliese Murphy.

Indeed, every time Portlaoise got in for a score, their Cork rivals would hit back with interest as Murphy and O’Sullivan totalled 19 points in that stanza alone, all, but four, of that contribution coming from beyond the arc.

Byrne and Tunnah did weigh in with much-needed threes for Portlaoise, but the visitors still found themselves 14 points down (45-31) heading into the second half.

Panthers managed to chalk up six points without reply, as Alyssa Velles drained a treble before Fressle came up with an ‘and one’ to cut the gap to ten.

But Glanmire hit the afterburners soon after, holding their guests scoreless for close to four minutes, in which time they added another 15 points to their advantage, starting with a three-point play by Emer Dunne that was followed by daggers from outside the arc from Watkins and Cumber.

A layup by Fressle finally got Portlaoise motoring again, but there was no way back for the Laois side at this stage, as Aine McKenna and Watkins inflicted more damage from the floor and free-throw line respectively to help rocket Glanmire further ahead at 76-44 by the close of the third quarter.

Facing such an insurmountable deficit, Portlaoise boss, O’Sullivan opted to withdraw several of his big hitters and offer increased game time to other squad members down the stretch, as Glanmire kept the heat on their opponents, outgunning them by 24 points in the final period.

With very little hope of making the play-offs at this stage, it’s all about ensuring survival in the top ranks this season for Portlaoise, but they face another tough challenge next Sunday with the visit of defending champions, Killester to St. Mary’s Hall.

UCC GLANMIRE: Aine McKenna, Jessica O’Shea, Claire O’Sullivan, Annaliese Murphy, Mia Furlong, Jewel Watkins, Miriam Loughrey, Lucy Walsh, Emer Dunne, Faye McDonnell, Viane Cumber.

Top Scorers: Viane Cumber (23), Annaliese Murphy (19), Jewel Watkins (16), Claire O’Sullivan (15), Emer Dunne (13).

MIDLANDS PARK PORTLAOISE PANTHERS: Holli Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Ciara Byrne, Megan Dunne, Lynn Tunnah, Jasmine Burke, Elaine Kennington, Christiana Ojide Boiko, Jessica Fressle, Sarah Fleming, Alyssa Velles.

Top Scorers: Lynn Tunnah (13), Jessica Fressle (11), Ciara Byrne (9).