Portlaoise Panthers defeated by Liffey Celtics in National Cup Final

Portlaoise Panthers did tremendously well to reach this season's NICC Women's National Cup final, but were beaten by an outstanding Liffey Celtics side on Sunday morning in the National Basketball Arena, Dublin.

The Portlaoise team included names synonymous with local sport, including the Melia sisters, the O’Sullivan sisters, the Tomlinson twins, Tracy Fallon and more.

NICC Women's National Cup Final

Liffey Celtics 84 

Portlaoise Panthers 47 

But they found it difficult going right from the off, with Liffey Celtics the much stronger team on the day. Celtics got out in front early, with Ada Bowler scoring seven points while Niamh Masterson and Megan Hoffman landed six apiece.

Four points from Tracy Fallon, two from Maeve Cahillane, and a three-pointer from Attracta Phelan were all Portlaoise had to show for their efforts. 21-9.

The second period was a more even affair, but Liffey again came out on top. Sinead Melia led the way for Portlaoise with five points before Catherine O’Sullivan landed a three-pointer. But Liffey overpowered the Panthers again, with eight points from Hoffman, five from Masterson, and a three-pointer each from Bowler and Caoimhe Masterson.

The Dublin side finished 19 points clear at half time; 40-21.

Any chance of a comeback was put to bed in the third quarter as Liffey doubled Portlaoise, 22-11. Fallon once again led the way for Portlaoise with five points, while there were two points each for O'Sullivan, Cahillane and Phelan.

But Liffey Celtics kept the pressure on in a big way, as five different players added points. Hoffman had a fantastic game, finishing as the leading scorer, and led the way for her team in the third quarter as well, as both she and Megan O’Sullivan scored six points.

Portlaoise Head Coach Peter O’Sullivan can be proud of his team's efforts, but unfortunately, they came up against a Liffey Celtics side that were simply far too strong. O'Sullivan rewarded his players by giving all 12 of them some time on the court in the fourth quarter of the final.

Six of his players contributed scores as Portlaoise never gave up, pushing Liffey all the way to the final buzzer. However, all nine Celtics players were also given game time in the final period, with seven of them scoring to seal the victory.

Men’s Division 1

Portlaoise Panthers 111

Killarney Cougars 85 

Portlaoise Panthers welcomed Killarney Cougars to St Mary's Hall on Saturday evening, with the home side comfortable winners. A powerhouse performance from Ravel Moody saw the Panthers star finish with an astounding 53 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

Portlaoise were without regular starters such as BJ Gladden and Liam Kinsella, but Kerry Richardson came in to play a huge part in the win. There were also cameos from Reilly Comerford and Cormac Howson.

It was top v bottom heading into the game, with Portlaoise now extending their lead at the summit of Division 1 with 10 wins from 12 games. Killarney, meanwhile, remain rooted to the foot of the table and are yet to win a single game.

Portlaoise were on fire in the first period, totally dominating the game as Moody led the way with 17 points. Richardson chipped in with nine points of his own, as well as seven rebounds, as Portlaoise went 32-13 ahead.

The hosts did not get it all their own way in the second quarter, however. Richardson hit ten points, while Davin McEvoy got seven as the hosts kept the scoreboard ticking over.

But Killarney chipped away at the lead, with Darius Hopkins and Oleh Drahanchuk both hitting double figures. Andrew Fitzgerald stood out as well with six rebounds and five dribbles.

Nevertheless, Portlaoise held a 13-point lead at half time, 55-42.

In the third quarter, Moody scored an astonishing 20 points, including five free-throws and three three-pointers, as Portlaoise extended their lead again. For Killarney, there were ten points from Hopkins along with nine from Martin Hill. They trailed by 18 with ten minutes remaining.

But Portlaoise pressed home their advantage in the final period. Moody added a further 15 points to his tally as the Panthers marched to victory. 26 points was the winning margin in the end, which very much keeps Portlaoise on the right course.

Jack Scully's men will once again have home court advantage next week when UCD Marian visit St Mary's Hall. This will be a much sterner test for the Panthers, with UCD currently occupying third place in Division 1.