PICTURES: Limerick sides enjoy stellar weekend of finals success in Dublin with three historical wins

IT was a stellar weekend for Limerick basketball in Dublin with three sides from the Treaty County picking up silverware in the National Basketball Arena on Saturday. 

The Limerick Sport Eagles will be playing in the Domino’s Men’s Super League next season, following a 82-63 win over Titans in the Domino’s Men’s Division One Playoff Final at the National Basketball Arena. Alex Carlisle was the star of the show, scoring 41 points to earn the MVP award.

Limerick Sport Eagles led from start to finish in this contest and raced to an early 12-0 lead four minute in after Carlisle’s basket. Titans got into their stride and Umar Rashid’s score with the final play of the quarter reduced the deficit to 19-11.

Titans got within six points, 29-23, after Comhghall McCormack’s three and Fortune Igbokwe’s basket and additional free throw. Limerick Sport Eagles would lead by 11 points by half-time, 36-25, Carlisle with the final points of the quarter and he had 22 points at that stage.

Limerick Sport Eagles stretched the lead to 17 points after a five point run from Carlisle -  a three and a layup - to make it 47-30 three minutes into the third quarter. Ryan Leonard, who recently made his FIBA EuroBasket debut for Ireland, landed a three with a minute to go in the third quarter, which saw Limerick Sport Eagles 61-42 up.

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A Nathan Gbinigie’s layup followed for Titans, but the last word of the quarter went to Carlisle, who landed his third three of the contest and it was 64-44.

Limerick Sport Eagles didn’t relent, a Carlisle two-pointer and a Leonard three extended their lead further in the early stages of the fourth quarter. At the defensive end Tobias Christensen put in a huge block on Gbinigie.

A Carlisle layup and an Ajay Walsh dunk had Eagles 73-51 ahead by the midpoint of the quarter. Niall McDermott’s side kept Titans at arm’s length after that to seal promotion.

Limerick Celtics secured promotion to the Domino’s Women’s Super League in dramatic fashion, defeating Cleveland Rockets 76-68 after overtime in the Domino’s Women’s Division One Playoff Final at the National Basketball Arena.

The Limerick side needed an Amy Buckley basket with 1.7 seconds to go to force overtime and then dominated the additional period to secure top flight status for the first time. It comes just a year after the men’s team sealed promotion to the Domino’s Men’s Super League for the first time.

MVP Sidney Richards scored 10 of her 30 points in the overtime to drive her to team to victory. What made it more impressive is that the American had to play the last six minutes and overtime on four fouls, but crucially stayed on court to make the difference.

There was little between the sides in the opening quarter, Limerick Celtics Amy Buckley’s three in the dying seconds edged Limerick Celtics 15-13 up by the end of the first.

The second quarter went Cleveland Rockets way, an Alyssa Jimenez three pointer three minutes in saw them 19-15 up. A Meabh Purtil basket for Limerick Celtics made it a one-point game, as they trailed 24-23.

Cleveland Rockets then went on a 10-point run to take command of proceedings, with Caitlin Gloeckner and Aoibheann Donnelly helping themselves to five apiece to put them 34-23 up, Donnelly’s fastbreak and layup competing the scoring sequence. Limerick Celtics got a much-needed Laura Buckley three to finish the quarter, as they trailed 34-26 at half-time

Cleveland Rockets extended their advantage and made it a 14-point game, thanks to scores from Georgie McGrath, Gloeckner and a driving layup from Jimenez to lead 40-26 three minutes in.

A turnaround jump shot from Richards finally got Celtics off the mark and it got them going. By the time the American picked out Amy Buckley in paint just after the midpoint of the quarter they trailed 42-36.

A Richards three and a turnaround jump shot from Amy Buckley and it was a point game, 42-41, with three minutes to go. The turnaround was complete following a pair of Richards free throws, Meabh Purtill’s basket and an Amy Buckley free throw, to give them a 46-42 lead at the end of the third.

It was back level at 46-46 after Jimenez managed to beat the shotclock buzzer two minutes into the fourth quarter. A Jimenez layup had Cleveland Rockets 52-48 up with five and a half minutes to go, but they lost Georgie McGrath not after that after she picked up her fifth foul.

Back to-back threes from Gloeckner and Jimenez for Rockets was answered by one by Sabhbh Edwards Murphy, to see Celtics trail 58-55 with two minutes to go. Rockets then lost Jimenez who fouled out, Edwards Murphy converted up one of her two free throws.

Richards tied the game at 58-58. The final minute saw plenty of drama, Glockner put Rockets ahead once more, before Amy Buckley sent it to overtime thanks her last ditch basket with just 1.7 seconds left.

The sides exchanged early scores in overtime, before Amy Buckley downed a big three a minute and a half in to make it 65-62. Cleveland Rockets responded with a pair of Gloeckner free throws.

A Richards steal, layup and additional free throw put Celtics 68-64 up. The American, slotted a tough finish to make it a six point game 70-64. A Donnelly layup reduced the deficit.

A putback by Katie Richards to restored a six point cushion for Celtics, 72-66, with 1’20 to go. Rockets came back once more with an Emilie Rogers-Duffy basket in the final minute, but MVP Richards slotted four free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

The Limerick Celtics made it back-to-back BIDL Men’s titles, thanks to a narrow 70-68 win over UCD Marian at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday.

Philip Kearney’s double-double performance of 15 points and 16 rebounds for Limerick Celtics saw him pick up the MVP award.

There was little between the sides in the opening quarter, Limerick Celtics were marginally ahead, 17-14, at the end of it thanks to back-to-back Ruairi Cronin baskets in the closing minutes.

The second quarter was a low scoring affair in the opening exchanges, James Killen’s three brought it level at 17-17 apiece in the second minute.

A Luke Gilleran three just before the midpoint opened up a five-point lead for UCD Marian, 23-18.

A Gilleran layup with a minute to go had UCD Maran 35-27 up, he had 10 points in the first half. A Viktor Lovic basket in the final seconds made it a 10-point game, 37-27, at half-time.

There was a third quarter turnaround by Limerick Celtics, Matthew Barry’s three brought the game level at 43-43 with a little over three minutes gone. Barry had 10 points in the quarter. A pair of Cronin free throws in the final minute helped Celtics into a 57-53 lead at the end of the third, they’d outscored their opponents 30-16 in the quarter.

Four minutes into the fourth quarter and Limerick Celtics stretched their advantage to eight points, 63-55, after another Barry basket.

A shotclock buzzer beating three from Ruben Bolger and another from Gilleran helped reduce it to a four-point game, 65-61, with 3’12 left on the clock and it prompted a Limerick Celtics timeout.

A Kearney layup followed to settle things for Paul Kennedy’s side. It remained tight down the stretch, Barry slotted one of his two free throws to make it 70-65 with 33 seconds to go. Bolger landed a three for UCD Marian with 2.6 seconds to go, but they needed the ball back and it was too little too late, as Limerick Celtics claimed the win.