Stenson inspires Malahide CS to 41-33 triumph over St. Mary’s Mallow in All-Ireland Under 16A Girls Schools Cup decider

A huge 24-point haul by Lily Stenson went a long way to seeing Malahide Community School emerge 41-33 winners over St. Mary’s Mallow when the two sides met in the All-Ireland Under 16A Girls Schools Cup Final in the National Basketball Arena on Tuesday.

Holding their Cork opponents to 12 points in the opening half, Malahide opened up 14-point lead by the break and, despite their best efforts, St. Mary’s were unable to close the gap in the second half.

While Emily O’Sullivan did manage to serve up an immediate response to Stenson’s opening deuce for Malahide, that would prove St. Mary’s only score of the first quarter.

Indeed, Malahide finished that period with a 9-2 lead, Stenson adding another bucket and taking three from the free-throw line to help put the Dublin side in the driving seat.

Saorlaith Fitzgerald did draw first blood for St. Mary’s in the second quarter, but Malahide responded with the next six points, compliments of the irrepressible Stenson.

O’Sullivan and Jill Buckley both got in for a deuce to keep the Cork side ticking over, but Malahide only tightened their grip on proceedings with a further seven-point run that featured two free throws and a sublime three-pointer from Ella Jean Fitzpatrick.

Buckley and Doireann O’Flaherty drained two quick buckets for St. Mary’s, but they were cancelled out down the other end by Stenson and Emily Mofat to leave the Dublin side 14 points to the good (26-12) at the half-time break.

The Mallow girls did make a bright start to the second half, O’Flaherty and O’Sullivan each serving up a deuce to cut their side’s arrears to nine, but Malahide continued to keep their opponents at arm’s length as Roisin Carey and Laura Coffey struck from the paint.

Stenson then drained a huge three before Mia Carroll responded in kind for St. Mary’s to leave 13 between the two sides (37-24) heading into the final quarter.

To their credit, Mary’s kept on battling in the fourth, their defence locking in to hold Malahide to just four points in that period, yet, despite O’Sullivan and Fitzgerald, Amy McCormack and Carroll all getting in for buckets, it was not enough to see the Mallow side haul this one out of the fire.

“The girls executed our plan perfectly” said Malahide head coach Christian McDonnell. “The zone worked really well, our press was brilliant.

“Lily was amazing. She hit everything she was throwing up today. They just really deserved it and I’m delighted for them.

“This is huge for the school. It’s our fourth All-Ireland in recent years, so Malahide is really becoming one of the top schools in basketball in the country” he smiled.

Quarter Scores: Q1: 9-2, Q2: 26-12, Q3: 37-24, Q4: 41-33

Malahide Community School:

Laura Coffey, Seren Fitzpatrick, Isabelle Aslett, Sophia Grace, Sibh Byrne, Lily Stenson, Rosin Carey, Alice Harvey, Ella Jean Fitzpatrick, Emily Moffat (capt).

Top Scorers: Lily Stenson (24), Ella Jean Fitzpatrick (7), Roisin Carey (4).

Head Coach: Christian McDonnell

St. Mary’s Mallow:

Louise Dineen, Ella Crummey, Doireann O’Flaherty, Tara Foley, Emily O’Sullivan, Jill Buckley, Amy McCormack, Ciara Dwyer (capt), Sarah McCormack, Caoimhe Hennessy, Lily O’Callaghan, Mia Carroll, Lucy Sheehan, Saorlaith Fitzgerald, Kylie Plaku.

Top Scorers: Emily O’Sullivan (8), Jill Buckley (8), Doireann O’Flaherty (6)

Head Coach: Kelly Ní Chonaill

MVP: Lily Stenson (Malahide Community School)