Leixlip's FloMax Liffey Celtics Crowned National Cup Champions

They beat Killester 65-53

Leixlip's FloMAX Liffey Celtics beat Killester 65-53 to claim their second Paudie O'Connor National Cup title at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.

The Kildare-based team’s depth proved decisive, with Hazel Finn coming off the bench to earn MVP honours for her dynamic performance on both ends of the court, contributing 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Liffey Celtics got off to a strong start, building a 5-0 lead following Alexandra Navarette’s layup.

However, Ieva Bagdanviciene’s three-pointer quickly cut the deficit to one by the fourth minute.

Killester’s Michelle Clarke ignited a seven-point run with a driving layup, putting her team 14-9 ahead with two minutes left in the first quarter. But Liffey Celtics responded, closing the quarter just one point behind, 14-13, thanks to Finn’s two-point jumper.

In the second quarter, Liffey Celtics’ Irish internationals took control. Rachel Huisjdens’ two-pointer and Finn’s layup pushed them ahead 17-14 early.

Sorcha Tiernan then hit a three-pointer at the three-minute mark, extending the lead to 20-16. Tiernan’s strong partnership with Huisjdens led to a layup from the latter, putting Liffey Celtics up 26-18 midway through the quarter.

Killester fought back, with captain Michelle Clarke draining a three-pointer to narrow the gap to 30-21.

However, Kate O’Sullivan quickly answered with a three of her own, and a Tiernan jump shot made it 35-21 with just over a minute to go in the half. Killester’s American guard Samantha Haiby, who had been quiet, finally broke through with a layup just before halftime, leaving her team trailing 35-25.

Liffey Celtics came out strong in the third quarter, with Navarette’s pair of layups and Tiernan’s two jump shots pushing the lead to 44-25 by the third minute. Haiby briefly interrupted the run with a score, but Liffey Celtics continued to dominate. A three-pointer from Navarette extended their lead to 50-30 in the fourth minute.

Killester briefly responded, with Sarah Courtney hitting a three, but their chances were dealt a blow when Bagdanviciene injured her ankle and had to be helped off the court.

Finn extended the lead with a three-pointer in the final two minutes of the third quarter, bringing the score to 56-33. Both Kelly Bracken and Clarke exchanged three-pointers in the final minutes of the quarter, but a layup from Huisjdens capped off the scoring, leaving Liffey Celtics with a commanding 63-38 lead.

Killester struggled to find their rhythm in the fourth quarter, with their first score coming only four minutes in from a three-pointer by Hannah Thornton. Haiby followed up with another corner three, but the deficit remained significant at 63-44.

Despite continued efforts, including another three from Clarke, Killester’s rally fell short as Liffey Celtics secured the win, 65-53.