Mount Temple complete stunning comeback to capture U16 'B' Girls All-Ireland Schools League title

Mount Temple completed a stunning second half comeback to capture the U16 ‘B’ All-Ireland Schools League title, defeating Pipers Hill College 48-42 at the National Basketball Arena.

Naomi Farrington, with 21 points was awarded the MVP award.

Trailing by 13 points two minutes into the third, Praha Buvaneswaran’s team rallied through some excellent scoring from Naomi Farrington and Seren Evans to lift the trophy. Pipers Hill College played their part in an enthralling game of basketball. Stephanie Nnabuihe starred in defeat, leading the scoring charts with 29 points of her own.   

It was nip and tuck throughout the first quarter. Grace Miley opened the scoring for Pipers Hill College with a fantastic three-point shot, swiftly follows by a brace of Nnabuihe lay ups. Rachael Dyar and Naomi Farrington led the comeback for Mount Temple, both showing great energy on solo drives to the basket, to leave the score 9-7 in favour of Pipers Hill at the end of the first.

The game continued in that vein until the midway point of the second, when the Kildare school went on an 11-2 run to close out the half. Nnabuihe began to establish herself beneath the basket, amassing 8 points. Farrington continued to show her skills running the point and rounded out the half with a well taken mid-range jumper to re-energise a strong Mount Temple support in the stands, reducing the gap to 9 points at the interval, 24-15. 

The game looked to be getting away from Mount Temple when Nnabuihe struck for another brace of buckets to start to third, increasing their lead to 13 points, but under severe pressure, back roared Mount Temple. Julia Roleston, Seren Evans and Farrington made clutch shots, the standout of the sequence being a turnover and jumper from Rachael Dyar that left just four between the sides entering the fourth.

The closing quarter didn’t disappoint. Consecutive scores from Mount Temple brought them level. The teams traded blows throughout, exchanging the lead three times and remaining deadlocked with only three minutes on the clock. Fittingly it was Farrington and Evans who brought it home. The duo combined to score 10 of the final 14 points in the contest to ice the game and send a packed crowd into raptures.

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Quarter Scores:

Q1: 7-9

Q2: 8-15

Q3: 13-8

Q4: 20-10

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Top Scorers:

Mount Temple: Naomi Farrington (21), Seren Evans (16), Rachael Dyar (6).

Pipers Hill College: Stephanie Nnabuihe (29), Grace Miley (8), Barakat Amzat (2). 

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Mount Temple:  

Kay Ryan, Naomi Farrington, Aedín Hannigan, Lilyanne Bridgeman, Kulia Roleston, Seren Evans, Rachael Dyar.   

Coach: Praha Buvaneswaran

Ass. Coach: N/A

Pipers Hill College: 

Martha Plummer, Stephanie Nnabuihe, Ellie Morone Finnerty, Barakat Amzat, Maise Molly, Grace Miley, Jenne June O’Leary, Ellie Purcell, Lucy Keane, Amelia Holmes. 

Coach: Aaron Whelan

Ass. Coach: Keleigh Murphy