Presentation Kilkenny win All-Ireland Schools Basketball title

Presentation Kilkenny beat Castleisland CC 48-24 behind MVP Kayla Wall’s 13-point performance to secure the U16 'A' Girls All-Ireland Schools Cup in the National Basketball Arena on Tuesday.

The Kilkenny school, which featured a core group that took home U15 'A' All-Ireland Schools Cup honours last year, started strong and never relinquised their lead throughout the contest. Katie Holden getting a great finish inside to open the scoring with three minutes gone in the first quarter. Presentation would capitalise on the good start by going on an 11-0 run that was capped off by two consecutive Kayla Wall threes to race into a 13-2 lead with just under a minute to go in the first.

Bambrick capped off a strong opening quarter with a layup to give Pres a 15-4 lead heading into the second quarter.

Both sides traded early scores in the second period, but Castleisland started getting more of a foothold in the game with Sinead Galvin hitting a long-range two in the corner after a great run and pass from Grace McEvoy to make it 17-8 with two and a half minutes left in the second.

Presentation rallied with Bambrick and Kate Skehan finding success at the free-throw line to build a 13-point cushion to bring a 21-8 lead into the half-time break.

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Castleisland came roaring out of the break with a 9-2 run of their own through free-throws from Galvin and a three from the top of the key from Isabel Walmsley to get to within ten points at 25-15 with five minutes to go in the third quarter.

Bambrick managed to get a crucial score after grabbing two offensive rebounds in a row in the paint to make it 29-17 to Presentation and halt the momentum of Castleisland with a minute left in the quarter. Bambrick then hit a deep two on the wing to close out the third and give Presentation a 31-17 lead heading into the final period.

Presentation kept a firm control on play in the final quarter, with Amy Hughes scoring through contact to give them a 22-point lead at 43-21 with just under two minutes to go. Sally Power’s layup and another Wall three extended the advantage to 48-21 and secure the win for Presentation Kilkenny.

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 15-4, Q2: 6-4, Q3: 10-9, Q4: 17-7

Game Scores:

Q1: 15-4, Q2: 21-8, Q3: 31-17, Q4: 48-24

Presentation Kilkenny: Daisy Coomey, Haylee Dreelan Holohan, Noa Bambrick, Grace McEvoy, Amy Hughes, Emma Roche, Tara Rose Dunphy, Kate Skehan, Kayla Wall, Katie Holden, Sarah Mulhall, Sally Power.

Top Scorers: Kayla Wall (13), Noa Bambrick (12), Sally Power (9)

Castleisland CC: Isabel Walmsley, Brid McCarthy, Holly O’Neill, Nessa McAuliffe, Rachel O’Donoghue, Danielle Sheahan, Abbie O’Donoghue, Anna McCarthy, Julie McAuliffe, Sinead Galvin, Michaela Murphy.

Top Scorers: Sinead Galvin (10), Abbie O’Donoghue (4), Danielle Sheahan (4)