Liffey Celtics defeat Claregalway 65-52 to win inaugural Women’s National Intermediate League

Liffey Celtics are the first ever Women’s National Intermediate League champions. They defeated Claregalway 65-52 in the inaugural final on Sunday at the National Basketball Arena. It completes a remarkable season for the County Kildare outfit, who also won the InsureMyHouse.ie Women’s National Intermediate Cup in January, as well as the Dublin Ladies Basketball Board (DLBB) League and Cup in March and only suffered one defeat all season.

Claregalway certainly made Liffey Celtics work for this trophy, Hannah Coen was particularly impressive for the Galway outfit, finishing with a game-high 18 points. Her basket gave Claregalway an early 8-6 lead in the fifth minute, but by the end of the quarter it was Liffey Celtics in front, 20-13, MVP Meagan Hoffman scoring six of her 14 points in the first quarter.

Meagan Hoffman scored 14 points for Liffey Celtics as she picked up the MVP

Claregalway clawed their way back into it and got themselves in front in the third minute of the second quarter thanks to a Coen basket, to make it 25-24, but Liffey Celtics restored their seven point advantage once more by half-time thanks to Erin Bracken’s three at the end of the quarter to lead 38-31.

Liffey Celtics started to pull further away in the third, Bracken’s shotclock buzzer-beating layup made it 49-38 midway through. The lead was 11 points going into the final quarter, 56-45, after Aoife Masterson’s three point jump shot in the final seconds of the third.

Claregalway needed a big fourth quarter, but instead it was Liffey Celtics who were first on the boards. It was two points apiece for Caoimhe Masterson and Aoife Tiernan in a 30 second stretch and the 15 gap at 60-45 had them in the box seat for victory. Liffey Celtics kept their composure in the final minutes and won it 65-52 to cap a dream season for the team. 

MVP Meagan Hoffman, of Liffey Celtics, said: “We’re delighted, at the start of the year we had a goal to win, there was five things we wanted to win, we’ve done four of them so far. We’ve got one more to do, but we’re delighted, it’s a great team. It’s great that there’s this league, we’re delighted to be part of it and winning it is the cherry on top.”

Q1: 20-13, Q2: 38-31, Q3: 56-45, Q4: 65-52

Liffey Celtics: Tomi Adesina, Alannah Mullins, Ailbhe Harrington, Caoimhe Masterson, Rachel O’Carroll, Karen O’Shea, Megan O’Sullivan, Aoife Tiernan, Niamh Masterson, Meagan Hoffman, Karen Mealy, Erin Bracken

Head coach: Suzanne Maguire

Top three scorers: Meagan Hoffman (14), Niamh Masterson (10), Karen Mealy (9)

Claregalway: Georgina Martin, Mary Cunniffe, Mary Kate Killilea, Laura Hoffmann, Ava Murray, Kate Lyons, Deirdre Brennan, Michelle Canavan, Rebecca Hansberry, Ali Fagan, Hannah Coen, Helen Moran

Head coach: Paul Flanagan

Top three scorers: Hannah Coen (18), Georgina Martin (11), Helen Moran