Maree stay on track as Galway club cut Swords to ribbons

Dayna Finn of Maree aims for the basket against Katie Black, left, and Niamh O’Donovan of Swords Thunder during the Hula Hoops Women’s Division One National Cup Semi-Final at Neptune Stadium in Cork. Photos: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile.

placeholder image — Dayna Finn of Maree aims for the basket against Katie Black, left, and Niamh O’Donovan of Swords Thunder during the Hula Hoops Women’s Division One National Cup Semi-Final at Neptune Stadium in Cork. Photos: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile.

Maree 97

Swords 49

MAREE’S Senior women cruised into the final of the National Division 1 Cup last Saturday as they continued their impressive season with a rout of Swords Thunder at the Neptune Stadium in Cork.

Joe Shields’ side is one of just two in the country which is unbeaten in all competitions this season – the other is Women’s Superleague side, Liffey Celtics – and that unbeaten run was never in danger against a totally outclassed Dublin outfit on Saturday.

The game was as good as over at half-time, with Maree enjoying a 36-point lead at the break; and while Swords enjoyed their best spell of the match in the third quarter, Maree still outscored them to lead by 38 heading into the final quarter, before finally running out 48-point winners.

Maree got off to a flier, and were 6-0 up early in the first quarter with Dayna Finn and Catherine Connaire finding early baskets. Swords rallied briefly, and at one stage had the lead back to three points (8-5) after scores from Peggy Black and Anna Brennan, but that was as close as they would get to Maree as Claire Rockall, and Finn, found their range early to leave Maree 28-11 ahead at the end of the quarter.

Katie Black opened the second-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer for Swords, but Maree responded with 11 unanswered points – including a 3 of their own from Connaire – to leave them 39-14 up midway through the quarter, and they went on to outscore Swords 17-6 for the remainder of the quarter to take total control of the game.

Swords again tried to rally early in the third, Kate Black hitting two early baskets, but Maree were always in command and a hat-trick of treys from Carol McCarthy saw them open a 38-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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