1st Year Girls’ Basketball Victory!
1st Year A Basketball Final
Carrigaline Community School 32
Regina Mundi Secondary School 28
Carrigaline edged out a huge victory in a game that went down to the wire this Wednesday in Neptune Stadium. With the game in the balance, it took some vital scores from Rebecca Sexton and Leah Allen to allow the school to pull away in the dying seconds of the contest.
The game began with both teams trading baskets early on. Sexton was outstanding, her performance more than justifying her selection on the Irish panel. While CCS shone, their counterparts were equally on form and the score was tied at the end of the first period of play.
Some stellar defence from Regina Mundi halted Carrigaline’s progress in the second quarter, but with the interval approaching Michael Marshall’s charges seized their opportunity to go up by four at the break. Arianna Fennessey and Allen were pivotal in the third quarter, and with Sexton playing her part on the offensive end Carrigaline built on their lead.
However their opponents wouldn’t back down and the teams were still separated by just two going into the last.
The sides were out on their feet in what was turning out to be a thriller in the storied stadium in the north of Cork. With less than two minutes to play and the scores level, Rebecca Sexton made a strong move to the basket on her left before hoisting a shot from just outside the key. The ball dropped through the net to put Carrigaline in front once again, and the team never looked back. Another lay-up from Leah Allen, co-captain along with Sexton, brought the gap to four, a margin their opponents just couldn’t pull back.
The final buzzer was met by scenes of jubilation from players and coaches alike, Michael Marshall celebrating an incredible win for the school by praising his team’s grit in the end.
“This was a real battle,” the decorated coach said after the game. “I’m so proud of my girls for staying in the game the way they did. They deserve everything they got from this game.”
The team now advances to the All-Ireland play-offs, which will be played in the coming weeks against teams from across the country.
