FloMAX Liffey Celtics beat Killester 65-53 to secure their second Paudie O’Connor National Cup title at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday.

The Kildare’s outfit’s strength in depth proved telling, illustrated by Hazel Finn coming off the bench to claim the game MVP, her energetic performance at both ends saw her pick up award, after 13 points and eight rebounds.

FloMAX Liffey Celtics built an early 5-0 advantage in the contest after Alexandra Navarette’s layup. But Ieva Bagdanviciene’s three reduced the deficit to one, 5-4, in the fourth minute. Michelle Clarke’s driving layup kickstarted a seven point run for Killester, as they went 14-9 up with two minutes to go in the first quarter. It was a one-point game, 14-13, by the end of the it after Finn’s two-point jump shot.

FloMAX Liffey Celtic’s Irish internationals clicked into gear in the second quarter, a Rachel Huisjdens two-point jump shot and a Finn layup nudged the County Kidare outfit 17-14 in front early on. Next up was Sorcha Tiernan, who landed a three with three minutes gone, to put Karl Kilbride’s 20-16 up. Tiernan was also linking up well with Huisjdens, she picked her out in the paint and a layup from the former DCU Mercy player had FloMAX Liffey Celtics 26-18 ahead at the quarter midpoint.

Killester needed a response, captain Michelle Clarke landed from the three point line with three minutes to go, to trail 30-21, only for Kate O’Sullivan to respond in kind seconds later. A Tiernan jump shot and it was 35-21 to Liffey Celtics with 1’15 left in the quarter. Killester’s American Samantha Haiby, was largely kept quiet in the first half, her layup in the closing seconds cut the deficit to 10, 35-25, at half-time.

A pair of Navarette layups and two Tiernan jump shots and it was a 19 point lead, 44-25, in the third minute, only for Haiby to snap that sequence. A three from Navarette brought Liffey Celtics up to 50, leading 50-30 in the fourth minute.

Killester picked up the next score thanks to Sarah Courtney’s three, but their comeback hopes suffered a major blow when they lost Bagdanviciene, the Lithuanian rolled her ankle and had to be carried off.

Finn’s three with two minutes to go in third quarter had FloMAX Liffey Celtics 56-33 up. Kelly Bracken and Clarke exchanged threes in closing stages, but it was another Huisjden’s layup which finished off scoring in the quarter, Liffey Celtics with a commanding 25 lead, 63-38.

Killester needed points, but it took until the fourth minute of the fourth quarter to get a score, Hannah Thornton landing a three, it was followed shortly afterwards by a corner three by Haiby, 63-44. Killester continued to rally, another Haiby three made it a 15-point game, 65-50, with 3’24” remaining. Killester kept plugging away, Clarke was next to dispatch a a three, but it was to be FloMAX Liffey Celtics’ day.

Speaking afterwards Hazel Finn said: “I am absolutely delighted, the amount of work we put in for today and we just clicked the past few weeks, so we’re absolutely delighted. We had a tough few weeks at the start and for me coming in I found it tough to click with the girls, as it’s a totally new team (for me).”

Asked about what the MVP award, Finn added, “It means everything to me. To be honest I haven’t won one of these at senior level ever, my sister (Dayna) has a tonne, so I was working so hard to get this now! So I get to add it now to hers, I am absolutely delighted.”

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 14-13, Q2: 11-22 Q3: 13-28, Q4: 15-2

Game Scores:

Q1: 14-13, Q2: 25-35, Q3: 38-63, Q4: 53-65

Killester:

Destiny Strother (5), Michelle Clarke (13), Samantha Haiby (15), Leilani Turner (0), Sarah Courtney (3), Bree Shelley (0), Ali Connolly (0), Robyn Malone (DNP), Ieva Bagdanviciene (5), Hannah Thornton (12), Maeve O’Seaghdha (0), Sara Fernandez Lopez (0).

FloMAX Liffey Celtics:

Kelly Bracken (3), Kate O’Flaherty (0), Ciara Bracken (DNP), Eboni Williams (5), Rachel Huijsdens (10), Kate O’Sullivan (3), Clara Boyce (0), Sorcha Tiernan (11), Hazel Finn (13), Alexandra Navarette (15), Aine O’Connor (5).

Rights-free game reports from every National Cup final are available below and on the Basketball Ireland website

National Cup Finals Results

Friday January 17th

IWA National Cup

Rebel Wheelers 81-46 Ballybrack Bulls (Full game report here)

NICC Women’s National Cup

Ongar Chasers 52-46 Liffey Celtics (Full game report here)

Saturday January 18th

U18 Men’s Billy Coffey National Cup

Éanna 92-72 Titans (Full game report here)

Women’s Division One National Cup

iSecure Swords Thunder 68-86 McEvoy's Cavan Eagles (Full game report here)

Presidents’ National Cup

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers 60-72 Limerick Celtics (Full game report here)

Saturday January 18th

Pat Duffy National Cup

Killester 92-75 UCC Demons (Full game report here)

Sunday January 19th

NICC Men’s National Cup

Barrow Rovers 60-61 St. Brendan's (Full game report here)

U20 Men’s National Cup

Limerick Celtics 63-71 Dundalk Ravens (Full game report here)

Paudie O’Connor National Cup

Killester 53-65 FloMAX Liffey Celtics