Fahy and Vanderwal turn on style to deliver treble for UL

University of limerick 66 TEAM MONTENOTTE HOTEL 54

Michelle Fahy and Rachael Vanderwal were the stars at the National Basketball Arena yesterday evening, as UL got the better of Team Montenotte Hotel Cork in this final for the second year in-a-row, completing a remarkable treble-winning season for the Limerick side.

Though they entered the game as rank outsiders, Montenotte enjoyed a bright start to the proceedings, as four points from Valerie O’Driscoll, as well as a two-pointer from Grainne Dwyer, gave the Cork side an early 6-2 lead.

UL would soon settle into the game, however, as clinical scores from Aoife McDermott, Vanderwal, Fahy and Rachel Clancy put them into the ascendancy with six minutes gone.

Montenotte did hit back with two points each from O’Driscoll and Claire Rockall, but UL took a 19-12 lead with them into the second quarter following efforts from Loretta Maher, Fahy, Louise Galvin and Clancy.

There was a sense at this point that UL were coming into their stride, and they did add 14 points in the second period, with Galvin, Vanderwal and Maher contributing four points apiece.

Montenotte were in no mood to throw in the towel, though, and some terrific efforts — including a three-pointer from Amanda O’Regan — meant they only trailed by three points (33-30) by half-time.

O’Driscoll and Grainne Dwyer, with eight points each, had been the stars for the underdogs in the opening half, but UL were equally served by Galvin, Vanderwal and Fahy, who added to their personal tallies at the beginning of the third quarter.

Further scores from Fahy, Vanderwal and Miriam Liston opened up a seven-point cushion for the Treaty girls, but a six-point haul from Claire Rockall, four from Niamh Dwyer, and another outstanding three-pointer from O’Regan, brought the Glanmire outfit’s deficit back to three (46-43) with 10 minutes left.

This was as close as Jenny Long’s side came to their Munster rivals, as, even though they tacked on points through Niamh Dwyer (three), O’Regan, Aine McKenna, O’Driscoll and Lisa O’Sullivan (two each), 20 fourth-quarter points from UL (17 from either Fahy or Vanderwal) eased the James Weldon-coached side home.

UL BASKETBALL CLUB — L Galvin, R Clancy, M O’Leary, M Liston, C Grant, M Fahy, R Vanderwal, A Staunton, F Lynch, L Maher, A McDermott.

TEAM MONTENOTTE HOTEL — A McKenna, R O’Shea, C Rockall, N Dwyer, G Dwyer, H Sexton, V O’Driscoll, A O’Regan, L O’Sullivan, L Dennehy, A Stewart, K Bland, S O’Sullivan, L Falvey.

REF — L Cassidy & N Walsh.

– WOMEN’S SUPERLEAGUE FINAL