Dublin teams to the fore on All-Ireland Schools League Finals day one

Colaiste Éanna lifted the U19A All-Ireland Schools League trophy after a pulsating 50-39 win over St. Aidan’s CBS at the National Basketball Arena.

Nathan Comerford led the charge for the victors, with 17 points in an impressive shooting performance from the field.

Colaiste Éanna started brightest, the aforementioned Comerford getting to the basket on several occasion thanks to some slick ball movement around the point, St. Aidan’s CBS struggled to adjust to the pace of the game initially, leading to a significant 20-9 advantage for Colaiste Éanna at the end of the first.

Paul Ryan and Joel Muteba mustered a comeback for St. Aidan’s CBS in the second quarter, combining for 11 of their 13 points to reduce the gap to just 6 points at the break.

Colaiste Éanna head coach Hilary Netsiyanna galvanised his troops during the interval and team captain Sean Brady epitomised the hard work ethic on both ends of the floor.

Brady and Mark Keogh made some significant stops, before setting off on potent fast breaks that pushed their lead back out to 44-30 at the close of the third quarter.

St. Aidan’s CBS dug in for the concluding ten minutes, Paul Ryan finishing with 13 points, but ultimately Colaiste Éanna ran out the clock on a 50-39 win.

Quarter Scores: 

Q1: 9-20

Q2: 13-8

Q3: 8-16

Q4: 9-6

Top Scorers:

St. Aidan’s CBS: Paul Ryan (13), Victor Okojie (7), Joel Muteba (8).

Colaiste Éanna: Nathan Comerford (17), Sean Brady (10),  Adam Walsh (11).

St. Aidan’s CBS:

David Fanning, Jack Moore, Thomas McGorry, Tom McGowran, Darragh McGowran, Dakota Callaly, Karl Ypil, Paul Ryan, Jerard Laureta, Joel Muteba, Victor Okojie.

Coach: Doreen Melbourne

Ass. Coach: Amy Commane, Mike Ryan

Colaiste Éanna:

Sean Brady, Sean Wall, Adam Charles, Nathan Comerford, Luke Fitzpatrick, Chidera Chime, Odhran Comerford, Mark Keogh, Adam Walsh, Victor Lovic, Chukwuemeka Chime.

Coach: Hilary Netsiyanna

Ass. Coach: Niall Berry

 

U19 ‘B’ All-Ireland Schools League Final – Moyle Park College v St. Michaels College Listowel

 

Moyle Park College made it a league and cup double, adding the U19 ‘B’ All-Ireland League trophy to their Pinergy U19 ‘B’ All-Ireland Schools Cup win earlier this season.

They had to dig deep, eventually seeing off St. Michaels College Listowel 67-52 at the National Basketball Arena.

Both teams went score for score to start the contest, energising a packed crowd in the process. Michael O’Connor and Irish 3×3 U17 international Jake Mullins orchestrated the Moyle Park offense.

O’Connor found his range from three, finishing as the game’s top scorer with 25 points, 12 of those coming from beyond the arc.

Mullins meanwhile stacked up the assists through some smart drive and kick plays. 18-14 in Moyle Park College’s favour after the first quarter.

They didn’t have it all their own way in the first half though. St. Michaels College Listowel upped the tempo in the second period, rebounding very strongly before unleashing Luke Sheridan and Darragh O’Keefe to great effect.

The half ended with back-to-back baskets from Mikey Kelly and Darragh O’Keefe, completing a turnaround for the Kerry school, which would leave them 32-28 to the good at the break.

The third quarter belonged to Moyle Park College. Jake Mullins took over, scoring 9 of his 16 points at crucial moments.

In truth it was a 13-2 run between 5:06 and the end of this quarter which St. Michaels coach Lorraine Scanlon will look back on ruefully. Her team were never able to fully regain momentum despite a spirited effort.

Buoyed back an animated crowd, St. Michaels College fought to reduce the 13 point deficit that had amassed by the end of the third.

Jack Chute’s jumper with just over three minutes left on the clock cut the gap to 9 points, but they couldn’t make any further inroads as time expired.

The day belonged to Moyle Park College, their second trophy of the season, completing a 15-0 record as a result.

Quarter Scores: 

Q1: 18-14

Q2: 10-18

Q3: 23-8

Q4: 16-12

Top Scorers:

Moyle Park: Michael O’Connor (25), Jake Mullins (16), Rokas Liucvaikis (16).

St. Michaels College, Listowel: Luke Sheridan (16), Darragh O’Keefe, Mikey Kelly, Jack Chute all (10).

Moyle Park:

Nicholas Dinca, Dara Rafter, Rokas Liucvaikis, Michael O’Connor, Janis OSS, Jake Mullins, Arturs Kornejevs, Jamie Conway, Dainius Mika, Aidan Quinn, Ridhwan Atoro, Michael Agbomere, Roberts Dremakovs, Claude Hemedy, Oskars Ravejs.

Coach: Greg Allen

Ass. Coach: Carmel Roche

St. Michaels College, Listowel:

Jack Sheehy, Joe O’Connell, Dermot O’Brien, Mike Galvin, JD Cotter, Luke Sheridan, Jack Chute, Eoghan Dowling, Ben Carey, Aidan Chute, Mikey Kelly, Darragh O’Keefe.

Coach: Lorraine Scanlon

Ass. Coach: N/A

 

U16 ‘A’ All-Ireland Schools League Final – St. Patrick’s Castleisland v Colaiste Éanna

Colaiste Éanna narrowly overcame St. Patrick’s Castleisland 60-51 to win the U16 ‘A’ All-Ireland Schools League final, notching a ‘A’ level double for the school.

Colaiste Éanna captain Adam Charles was a goliath for his team, scoring 24 points to go with some powerful defence when his team needed him most.

Neither side deserved to lose a contest that featured four lead changes and during which the teams were tied on five occasions, but it was the Dublin school who held their nerve in the fourth quarter to eke out the win.

In an even first quarter, both teams had periods of dominance.

Killian Dennehy was the hot hand for St. Patrick’s Castleisland, hitting a pair of jumpers when called upon, but Adam Charles and Adam McCarthy duly responded for Colaiste Éanna, both amassing 6 points including a lovely three-point shot to leave his team with a small advantage, 18-12 through the first.

St. Patrick’s Castleisland’s shooters erupted in the second quarter.

A 13-2 run in the first seven minutes, featuring an 8 point cameo from the lively Ruairi Brosnan and David Healy bucket from beyond the arc totally turned the game on its head to leave the Kerry school in front 33-26 at the break.

The second half ebbed and flowed with regularity. Colaiste Éanna levelled the game at the midway point in the third, Ausgustine Farrell and that man Adam Charles combining to hit back-to-back lay ups, while Brosnan and Michael Griffin responded for Castleisland to set the game up for a thrilling finale.

The decisive scoring run came early in the fourth quarter. Colaiste Éanna scored the first eight points through Conor Chambers, Adam Charles and Harry Lynch.

It was a blow St. Patrick’s Castleisland couldn’t recover from.

They fought bravely, staying in touch through buckets from Josh Daly and Ruairi Brosnan, but some key blocks by Charles late in the piece sealed a famous win for Colaiste Éanna.

Quarter Scores: 

Q1:12-18

Q2: 21-8

Q3: 10-19

Q4: 8-15

Top Scorers: 

St. Patrick’s Castleisland: Ruariri Brosnan (17), Killian Dennehy (9), Michael Griffin (10).

Colaiste Éanna: Adam Charles (22), Harry Lynch (13), Conor Chambers (11).

St. Patrick’s Castleisland: 

 David Healy, Ruairi Brosnan, Michael Griffin, Luke Toomy, Shane Kelliher, Killian Dennehy, Daniel McCarthy, Gearoid Donegan, Josh Daly, Eoin Walsh, Josh Ryan, Eugene Deniel, Mark Curtin, Cormac Walsh, Rory O’Connor.

Coach: Dinny Porter

Ass. Coach: N/A

Colaiste Éanna:

Patrick Walsh, Chisom Chime, Emmet Callan, Augustine Farrell, Josh Carroll, Adam Charles, Dylan Brennan, Samson McCarthy, Danny Hamill, Adam McCarthy, Conor Chambers, Charlie Grogan, Harry Lynch.

Coach: Hilary Netsiyanna

Ass. Coach: Niall Berry