Trinity Meteors have picked up both the Women’s Division 1 Basketball Ireland Player of the Month and Coach of the Month award after a blistering streak of matches throughout February that saw them secure the top spot in the Northern Conference.
Edel Thornton won the Player of the Month award – her second of the season, having previously won it in December. For the side’s head coach, Vinnie O’Keefe, the win is his third of the season, after he won it in both December and November.
Thornton earned the award after a month in which she helped her team bounce back from a disappointing Cup final loss to the Portlaoise Panthers. The Meteors have gone undefeated since.
Thornton was especially impressive in a rematch against the Portlaoise Panthers at home last Saturday. She scored 20 points to go along with nine rebounds, five assists, and seven steals leading the way to 102-78 victory against the cup winners.
O’Keefe received his third Coach of the Month award after finishing the season out strong and seeing his team finish atop the Northern Conference with 13 wins and just one loss.
Having finished first in the Northern Conference, Meteors will play the Portlaoise Panthers – who placed second in the Southern Conference – tomorrow in the Division 1 semi-final. A win will see them advance to the final, fixed for Sunday. The victors of the final will be promoted to the Super League, the top flight of club basketball in Ireland.
Promotion to the Super League has been a goal for the Meteors all season long. In an interview with The University Times in January, O’Keefe spoke of what promotion would mean for the club: “We are trying to set up a system where players who are applying for a scholarship in Trinity, whether Irish or American, they must play with the Trinity team.”
“That’ll allow us to maybe cherry pick some of the better players, if they want to come and play with us. What’ll also help us would be if we get promoted, players will want to play in the Superleague” he added.
