Mystics weave their magic

NUIG Mystics 76

Women’s Super League basketball is returning to Galway next season after NUIG Mystics clinched the Women’s Division 1 title with a 19-point win over Ulster Elks in the cross-conference league final in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght on Sunday.

The win sees Paul O’Brien’s side complete the league and cup double, but also sees them secure the sole promotion spot, meaning Mystics will return to the top-flight of Irish basketball after two seasons in Division1.

Once Sara Messler put them 7-6 in front midway through a low-scoring first quarter, the Galway side were never headed, and the margin of victory could have been far greater only for some bounce-outs form the notorious rims in the Arena.

It was a cagey opening quarter, with both sides failing to capitalise on their first few offences, before Hazel Finn opened the scoring after almost two minutes if action.

Elks, who were missing out on promotion at the hands of a Galway team for the second time in three seasons, having come off second best against Maree in the 2018/19 campaign – then went on a run of six unanswered points, before Finn hit a 3-pointer, quickly followed by the Messler lead score.

Mystics found themselves in foul trouble with just under half of the opening quarter to play, but having been let down by discipline in those opening stages, they showed great composure to avoid being pinged for another foul in the remainder of the quarter.

Maggie Byrne stretched their lead with a nothing-but-nylon 3-pointer, before Alison Blaney’s show-and-go fake pass and lay-up lit-up the Arena for a 15-10 Mystics lead at the end of the quarter.

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

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