Basketball Ireland Development League Women 24-25
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors 67
Brunell 44
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors Women’s team continued their fine start to their first BIDL campaign with a comfortable win over Brunell at the Tralee Sports Complex on Sunday evening. The Warriors led throughout and were never really troubled by the Cork side who travelled to Tralee with just six players and found the Tralee sides pace and power on the floor and depth on the bench too difficult to cope with.
The Warriors got off to an ideal start with Claire O’Mahony firing in the opening score before baskets from Holly O’Brien, Aisling Counihan and Priya O’Donovan’s first three of the night saw them lead 9-2. Sophie O’Keeffe and Katie Bland kept Brunell in touch but the Warriors fired another volley of scores through Niamh Collins from either side of the arc, Holly O’Brien and Lucy O’Donnell to put 15 between the teams. Emily Peyton Blake added for Brunell before the final act of the quarter saw Sorcha Casey land a jump shot to give the hosts a 21-8 lead at quarter time.
The second quarter was a much more competitive affair with Brunell finding their touch around the basket to match the Warriors score for score. The Cork side went on a quick run to double their tally and trail by just 4. Katie Bland, Sophie O’Keeffe and Bianca Bulkowska led their charge but the Warriors replied in kind to unleash a 14 point run of their own through Kelly Fitzgerald, Holly O’Brien, Niamh Collins and two threes from Priya O’Donovan to see the home side lead by double scores. Kathleen Kelleher, Sophie O’Keeffe and Katie Bland were on target late on to pare the Warriors advantage back to a more manageable 36-24.
A big third quarter from the Warriors effectively settled the contest as they set about the Brunell board with five unanswered baskets from Claire O’Mahony, Holly O’Brien and a hat trick from Kelly Fitzgerald to push their lead out to 22. Holly O’Brien was on the mark yet again a minute later and Jennifer Okanrewaju struck with her first touch to see Warriors hit the 50 point mark just before the end of the quarter. Brunell kept plugging away and were rewarded with a major score from Bulkowska and a lay-up from O’Keeffe but still trailed 50-31 going into the fourth.
Jennifer Okanrewaju and Holly O’Brien combined early in the final quarter to push the Warriors further ahead. Brunell were on target through Sophie O’Keeffe, Katie Bland and Emma Peyton Blake but at the other end of the court Niamh Collins was dominant with three baskets from close range, Sorcha Casey added another, before Priya O’Donovan rounded out an impressive display of long range shooting to land her fourth three of the night and see the Warriors ease to their second win of the season by 67-44 in the end.
Scorers
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors: Holly O’Brien 15, Priya O’Donovan 14, Niamh Collins 13
Brunell: Katie Bland 18, Sophie O’Keeffe 9, Bianca Bulkowska 8
Next up for the Warriors Women is a local derby showdown with local rivals St. Paul’s Killarney at Mounthawk Gym next Friday night with tip off at 8.00pm.