Maree women make flying start to life at the top level

Glanmire 67

MAREE’S senior women created history on Saturday when coming out on top in their first-ever Super League game, getting the better of Cork visitors, Glanmire, in a thriller in Oranmore.

Having completed a clean sweep of Division 1 titles last year, many had marked Joe Shields’ side as a team to watch this season following promotion, and they made the perfect start when defeating a Glanmire side that finished 5th in the Superleague last season.

Claire Rockall won four national cups and five national leagues with Glanmire before returning to her home club last season to spearhead their return to the national league, and she was to the fore again on Saturday night.

Rockall finished the game with 20 points, despite playing with an ankle injury, but Maree had stars all over the court. Both Fiona Scally, who earned a recall to the senior international side following her displays in last season’s all-conquering Division 1 campaign, and new US recruit, Carly McClendon, finished the game with a double-double, McClendon finishing with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Scally hit 13 points and had 12 rebounds.

Glanmire led 22-19 at the end of the first quarter, with Irish international, Aine McKenna, driving their game – she finished with 25 points. However, Maree kept Glanmire’s two US imports relatively quiet – they finished with 9 and 4 points respectively – and with Scally finding her range in the second-quarter, Maree took a 38-35 lead into half-time.

Alison Blaney, who also played, despite not feeling 100%, also broke double figure scores for Maree; while last year’s U-16 Girls’ International of the Year, Kara McCleane, made an impressive debut in the national league, having joined on a structured link from Titans.

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