DCU Mercy were crowned the 2019/20 Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League champions at the weekend after running out 81-58 point winners over Maree in the penultimate game of the season.
Mark Ingle’s charges were pushed all the way by the Galway outfit in the fixture played at DCU.
It was a stunning third quarter display from American Meredith Burkhall that ultimately put them on the road to glory.
Burkhall dominated under the boards and headed to the free throw line on numerous occasions in the period, slotting home 12 points in the quarter, with 10 of these coming from the free throw line.
A close first half saw Maree get the better of proceedings early in the first quarter, with Fiona Scally, Carol McCarthy and Claire Rockall dominating the scoring to edge them into an early lead.
Good play from DCU’s Ashley Russell, Burkhall and Rachel Huijsdens saw the Dubliners claw back the lead though, to trail by just two at the end of the first, 14-16.
An extremely close second quarter followed, with Sarah Woods, Huijsdens and Burkhall all on-form for DCU, but Rockall and Scally along with good scores from Maggie Byrne kept Maree with the hosts every step of the way to tie the game up at 31 points apiece at the half.
Burkhall hit her stride in the third, dominating the offensive boards and picking up numerous fouls to put Maree in foul trouble. DCU Mercy led 55-45 going into the last quarter, a lead they were never going to relinguish.
Speaking afterwards, DCU captain Sarah Woods said: “We’re just elated. We came in with a job to do. We know how good Maree are, they beat us in Galway and we knew it would be a really tough game. I’m just so happy to be holding the trophy now and to be finally able to say we’re league winners.”
Also in the division, UCC Glanmire defeated Pyrobel Killester 96-83 in an overtime thriller in Clontarf.
Meanwhile, in the Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League, Pyrobel Killester defeated Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin 83-70 at home.