Final Score: Trinity Meteors 72-69 SETU Waterford Wildcats
Half-time: Trinity Meteors 38-26 SETU Waterford Wildcats
Top scorers Meteors: H.Finn 15, F.Treiliha 15, A.Learn 11
Top Scorers Wildcats: S.Hickey 25, A.Frescas 16, T.Brown 12
Trinity Meteors hosted SETU Waterford Wildcats in the Domino’s Women’s Super League Playoff Quarterfinal at the Trinity Sports Centre on Saturday, March 21st. After previously losing narrowly in both of their regular season encounters, Trinity Meteors were determined to beat Waterford for the first time this season in a crucial win-or-go-home tie.
Meteors got off to a fast start, scoring six unanswered points as the South Dublin side attacked Waterford’s defence with their electric backcourt duo of Hazel Finn and Aisling Moran. Seamas Donnelly’s squad played smothering defence, putting huge pressure on Waterford’s ball handlers, forcing turnovers and difficult shots. Meteors profited from these mistakes, pushing out onto the fastbreak for some easy finishes at the rim. Early on, Trinity led 10-4. Waterford responded with a 3-pointer from Alyssa Frescas from NBA range. Having scored eight 3-pointers in their previous game in the Sports Centre back in October, Trinity Meteors aimed to contain Frescas’ deadly shooting with some extra off-ball coverage. The rest of the first quarter saw a back-and-forth affair, with both sides executing their offence well. Finn orchestrated the Meteors’ offence with high-speed intensity and pinpointing passing, including a gorgeous bounce pass to find Kylie Horstmeyer in a perfectly executed pick-and-roll. Waterford relied on their Irish international star Sarah Hickey, who used clever footwork to score inside the paint on numerous occasions. After the first quarter, Trinity led by four points.
The second quarter saw a huge defensive display from Trinity Meteors, holding Waterford to just eleven points. Helena Keane was a huge spark off the bench, scoring an important 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock before coming up big in two consecutive defensive possessions, positioning herself perfectly in help-side rotation to force missed shots. As usual, Ava Learn dominated the boards on both ends of the court, securing an outstanding 20 rebounds on the night. Learn’s offensive rebounding provided Trinity with vital extra possessions, which they converted effectively. Trinity’s extra efforts on defence and the boards, created the momentum to push ahead by double digits. Franciska Treiliha’s aggressiveness was rewarded with multiple trips to the free-throw line, as Meteors went into halftime with a well-deserved 12-point advantage.
Kylie Horstmeyer got the second half underway with a smooth mid-range pull-up. Then, a fastbreak layup from Meteors’ captain Catherine Connaire put Meteors up 16. However, Waterford would not go down without a fight. Led by the Hickey sisters, Wildcats slowly chipped at the lead with drives to the basket. Inside the paint, Tiarra Brown was a difficult presence for Trinity to slow down, especially with Learn in foul trouble throughout the second half. Ciara Mulligan played some incredible defence on the taller Sarah Hickey, giving it her all to fight for position and deny any entry into Waterford’s post. Mulligan’s fight instilled energy back into Trinity, with Finn finding a wide-open Treiliha in the corner for a 3-pointer as the lead was pushed back to ten heading into the deciding quarter.
Both teams traded blows to begin the final quarter, with both teams struggling to get stops. Two consecutive 3-pointers from Connaire and Treiliha helped push the lead back to double-digits. Yet, Waterford refused to give up. Two huge 3s from Hickey, along with numerous midrange jump shots, suddenly saw Wildcats cut the game to five points. Meteors seemed stunned by Waterford’s resurgence and full-court pressure, giving away multiple sloppy turnovers. From leading by 13 with less than four minutes left, Trinity suddenly found themselves in a one-point game with just one minute remaining. All momentum seemed to be on Waterford’s side, as Hayes’s squad could not miss from anywhere on the court, and it looked like Meteors had pressed the panic button. With 30 seconds left on the clock, Hazel Finn demanded the ball. With her vast experience and remarkable composure under pressure, she drove past Waterford’s defence and finished at the rim with her left hand. A clutch play from Trinity’s Irish international star when it mattered most. Down 3 with less than 20 seconds to go, Frescas got two open 3-point attempts to tie the game but came up short, as Meteors survived Waterford’s late comeback and advanced to their second consecutive playoff semifinal.
Trinity Meteors will now face Killester BC next weekend away from home in the Domino’s Women’s Super League Playoff Semifinal.
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 19-15 Q2: 19-11
Q3: 17-19 Q4: 17-24
Game Scores:
Q1: 19-15 Q2: 38-26
Q3: 55-45 Q4: 72-69
Trinity Meteors: #3 Hazel Finn, #6 Catherine Connaire (C), #8 Helena Keane, #10 Martina Destro, #11 Ciara Mulligan, #12 Aisling Moran, #13 Franciska Treiliha, #14 Ava Learn, #16 Kylie Horstmeyer
Head Coach: Seamas Donnelly
SETU Waterford Wildcats: #3 Kate Hickey, #4 Orla Dullaghan, #5 Helena Rohan, #6 Sarah Hickey, #7 Aoife Brett, #9 Ardiana Shallci, #11 Sanija Brikmane, #12 Alyssa Frescas, #13 Melissa Stone, #20 Tiarra Brown Head Coach: Jillian Hayes
