Maree Basketball Club’s senior ladies have claimed this year's division one league title and will be playing Superleague basketball next season.
However, celebrations remain on hold with two games yet to be played in the division one regular season.
Having claimed the national cup in a thrilling final last month, the Maree women were emphatic 89-47 winners over Limerick Celtics at the weekend to wrap us this year's double. With a record 11 wins from 11 games, and with just two games remaining in the regular season, they cannot be caught at the top of the table, and as a result will be promoted to the Women’s Superleague next season.
Dayna Finn, who last week was named as the Southern Conference player of the Month for January, led the way for Maree with 25 points on Saturday, one of four Maree players to hit double figures, with Claire Rockall (22 ), Alison Blaney (16 ), and Catherine Connaire (13 ) also making big scoring contributions.
Maree led 28-15 at the end of the first quarter, which saw all five of Maree’s starters find the basket. A run of 11 unanswered points in the second-half saw them take a 47-24 lead into half-time, and when they hit 10 unanswered points in the third quarter, the outcome was never in doubt.
They held their hosts to just six points in the final quarter, which they led 76-41 at the start of play, and hit 13 points to run out 89-47 winners, to claim both the South Conference and overall division one titles with two games to spare.
Their final two games are both home fixtures, starting this Saturday when they welcome Trinity Meteors to Calasanctius College on Saturday (7.30pm ), and the following Saturday, Phoenix Rockets from Belfast are the visitors to Oranmore at 5pm in a basketball double header, as Maree’s men are in Superleague action the same night against Neptune of Cork (8pm ).
The men’s side’s scheduled game against UCC Demons last weekend was postponed as a mark of respect following the death of Elizabeth Lynch, the mother of the team’s head coach, Mike Lynch. They return to action this weekend with an away game against UCD Marian in Dublin (7pm ).
Maree women: C McCarthy (4 ), D Finn 925 ), C Rockall (22 ), M Byrne (6 ), C Connaire (13 ), N O’Connell, E Kennedy, A Blaney (16 ), C McGrail (3 ), L Walsh.
