Doing the Northside proud

THE ladies’ senior team at Killester Basketball Club will be bidding for glory this weekend when they take on Team Montenotte Hotel, Cork, in the Women’s National Cup Final.

The Northside team reached their first final since 2006 when they recorded a 68-67 last-gasp victory over UL Huskies in a thrilling semi-final on January 10.

Robin Murphy (21 points), Ailsing Sullivan (15) and Alison Maguire (9) were top scorers for the Northside team in a fine team performance.

Killester’s march to the final has been all the more sweeter given the fact that the average age of the team is a little over 20, with eight of the players coming through the club’s successful underage programme.

Michelle

‘Mimi’ Clarke, who played a key role in the semi-final triumph, pointed out that as a result of the downturn in the economy, 10 of the team’s players have emigrated over the past few years.

“So it’s with great credit that we are still performing at this level,

? she told Northside People.
In the 2006 decider, Killester came up against at University Limerick (UL) team that hadn’t lost a game in three years, but emerged with the victory.

“Killester stopped their (UL) winning streak on that fantastic day and who is to say it won’t happen again against our Cork opponents,

? said Michelle,

This Killester team might be a young side but it also has plenty of experience. Americans Robin Murphy and Olivia Lee, along with co-captains Ash Sullivan and Mimi Clarke, will be sure to drive their team on to the final whistle.

Michelle will have an extra incentive to take a winner’s medal back to the Northside. Her brother, Robbie, has won National Cup medals with the Killester Men’s Senior team, while her cousin, Brendan Clarke, was in goal for St Patrick’s Athletic when they won the FAI Cup in November for the first time since 1961.

“They have both been asking to see my cup medals so this will be an opportunity to shut them up,

? joked Michelle.

The Killester v Team Montenotte Hotel, Cork, final will take place at 6pm this Saturday, January 24 at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.

Another Northside team, DCU Mercy, will contest the Under 18 final on the same day when they take on Glanmire BC. DCU Mercy defeated St Anthony’s 52-47 in their semi-final.