National Cup

Oct 31 2024

Preview: Paudie O'Connor and Women's Division One National Cup

There wasn't a dry eye in the Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell bleachers when the club lifted their first Paudie O'Connor National Cup at the National Basketball Arena in January. They had just defeated Catalyst Fr. Mathews 100-84 in a Cork derby to collect the silverware and emotions were high. It had been a tough time for the North Cork outfit following the passing of its founding member Andrew Drumm in their 40th anniversary year.

They dispatched eventual Women's Super League winners Killester in the final four and a cup giant in DCU Mercy at the quarter-final stage. This was their fairytale ending. Fast forward 10 months and Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell aren't among the clubs who receive a bye in the opening round and couldn't have been given a much tougher draw with a visit of SETU Waterford Wildcats on the menu.

Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers v Trinity Meteors, Saturday, 20:00, St. Mary's Hall

The home side go in search of their maiden Paudie O'Connor Cup win at the second attempt since returning to the Women's Super League. They were dumped out at this stage a year ago by eventual runners-up Catalyst Fr.Mathews 72-65 and despite having home advantage, they have another tricky assigment on their hands if they are to overturn that record this time around.

The addition of Lynn Tunnah and Amy Dooley have given an extra dimension to Panthers offensively and taken the pressure off Alyssa Velles. Tunnah in particular is in exceptional form, most recently posting a double-double, 31 points and 11 rebounds as her side went over University of Galway Mystics 86-74 to move up to 7th place in the Women's Super League standings. She sits 3rd in the league for three-point shooting percentage in those who have attempted 10 or more from range this season. It's not been easy going for the Laois side in either of their meetings with this weekend's opponents in the league in 2023/24. The Dublin side came out on top on both occasions with an average winning margin of 24 points, so there is a lot of recent history to overcome if they are to make the last-eight.

Trinity Meteors have a strong recent record in the National Cup - reaching the final two seasons ago, while a lot of this roster have tasted success in knockout basketball courtesy of Meteors Basketball Club's exploits in winning the U18 Women's National Cup the past season. Hilary Netsinyanwa hasn't been able to find the magic formula for his youthful group on the road so far this year, they are 0-2 during trips to face The Address UCC Glanmire and FloMAX Liffey Celtics. Six players reached double-digits in their most recent outing at home to Catalyst Fr.Mathews. They've also found an impressive presence on the defensive end of the floor in Emma Merriweather. She leads the Women's Super League in blocks with seven in the opening four games.

A home tie against Utility Trust St. Pauls is up for grabs for the victor.

Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell v SETU Waterford Wildcats, Sunday, 14:45, Gurranbraher Credit Union Arena

SETU Waterford Wildcats make the trip to Cork full of confidence on the back of three successive Women's Super League wins, accounting for the previously unbeaten FloMax Liffey Celtics on their home court last Saturday. Ashia McCalla shot 71% from the floor, while completing all 40-minutes of that contest and appears to be a dangerous presence alongside Kate and Sarah Hickey in the rotation. In Chelsea Cain they also possess the leading rebounder in the Women's Super League, with 63 boards through the opening four games. That's 12 clear of her closest persuers Amy Dooley of Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers and Sarah Kenny from Trinity Meteors.

The last four meetings between these teams have gone to the side with home advantage, so the surroundings of Gurranabraher Credit Union Arena could be crucial here. The home side have been managing without Edel Thornton so far this season and Irish U18 international Ava Walshe and veteran forward Danielle O'Leary have stepped up in recent weeks as they were dealt a further blow due to the absence of their other senior international in Lauryn Homan. Trinity Hudson made her presence felt despite a defeat to The Address UCC Glanmire in their last outing. Hudson topped the box score with 29 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Whether one of Homan and Thornton or both are ready to make a return for what promises to be a special Sunday afternoon on Cork's northside remains to be seen.

Gurranabraher Credit Union's Lauryn Homan at the launch of the Paudie O'Connor National Cup in Cork.

Both teams are shooting similar percentages this season, SETU Waterford Wildcats are 2% better from the paint and 0.4% better overall from outside, so all indicators point to a close game. Often those types of games can come down to free-throws and it's Jillian Hayes charges who are showing cooler heads from the line to date, with a 76% success rate in comparison to their hosts, who are operating at 66%. Each team have respectable National Cup pedigrees - though it's coming up on 24 years since they last brought the trophy back to the banks of the River Barrow.

The winners will play University of Galway Mystics at home in the next round.

There is only one tie in the opening round of the Women's Division One National Cup this season as iSecure Swords Thunder meet Templeogue in a Dublin derby in ALSAA. The winners already know that a meeting with Cleveland Rockets will stand between them and a National Cup semi-final in Cork on the first weekend in January.

iSecure Swords Thunder v Templeogue BC, Sunday, 16:30, ALSAA

It's just two weeks since iSecure Swords Thunder and Templeogue played out an entertaining 77-71 contest at the same venue in the Women's Division One, with 12 lead changes in a game the visitors led for large patches, but ultimately couldn't hold off Makayla Miller down the stretch. Miller would finish the game with 23 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. It ended a run of six successive defeats against Templeogue for Thunder dating back to December 2019. The teams last met in the National Cup in the 2021/22 season at the semi-final stage in Cork, with Templeogue coming out the right side of a 63-58 scoreline in the Parochial Hall in Cork.

iSecure Swords Thunder had a blip last weekend without the aforementioned Miller, they only managed to score 30 points with a very young lineup against McEvoy's Cavan Eagles. Tia Kelly-Stephens stepped up in her absence but Thunder will need big performances from Miller, Kate Kelly, Megan Howe and Megan Connolly if they're to bounce back from that defeat immediately.

There will be a huge appetite for a deep cup run this year after this group got a taste of silverware in the Women's Division One League Trophy last season. Head coach Paul Carr will also be keen to get his first win on the board in the National Cup since taking over - they were the victims of an upset at the hands of Oblate Dynamos at this stage a year ago.

Templeogue come into the game having only played twice so far in the Women's Division One - so still somewhat of an unknown quantity with their record at 1-1. Joelle Johnson-Burnley figures to be their biggest threat as their leading scorer alongside Hannah Murphy. That duo combined for 49 points in the previous meeting between the teams. Ireland U18 international Caoimhe Gilligan has also made the move from Abbey Seals Dublin Lions to South Dublin and will see plenty of minutes, as will Aoife Whelan and Hannah Byrne. Head coach Mark Byrne will want to see an improvement in shooting from the perimeter from their only win against Cleveland Rockets. They went 5/26 (19%) in that 58-51 win.