Impressive Galway outfit show no mercy in Division 1 Cup decider
Templeogue 35
NUIG Mystics 68
Keith Kelly in Tallaght
NUIG Mystics were crowned Women’s Division 1 Cup champions on Sunday after a dominant display saw them overwhelm and overrun a Templeogue side that failed to score a single point from play in the opening quarter of the game.
Paul O’Brien’s side were favourites going into the game, having beaten Templeogue on their home court 76-66 in November, and losing just one game out of 10 this season, but the chasm in class between the sides was unexpected.
It took a couple of minutes for both teams to settle, although even in those early stages, Mystics were showing their dominance, having five looks at the Templeogue basket while only giving up two sights of their own board.
They finally got their noses in front just short of two minutes in when Alison Blaney executed a brilliant steal just inside her own three-point arc before going coast-to-coast to open the scoring with a right-side lay-up.
Templeogue shot short of the basket on their subsequent offence before Mystics transitioned well, finding Blaney wide on the right who drained a 3-pointer off the backboard, and from there on, Mystics never looked back.
By the end of the first quarter they were 21-4 ahead, with Mystics captain, Aoife Ryan, coming off the bench to land six points; while Courtney Cecere, one of their two Americans, opened her account midway through the quarter.
Cecere, who is on the Victory Scholar programme with Mystics, missed the start of the season with a back injury, but has been a crucial player for the side since making her delayed bow with the side, and she went on to be named as the game’s MVP, finishing at the game’s top scorer with 15 points, as well as claiming two steals and 12 rebounds.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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