Basketball – Friendly against St Mary’s College, May 2023

Back in September, the Second-Year squad had a home match against St. Mary’s College. This week, the squad headed to Rathmines for a match to finish the season. The first quarter started off close, as captain Peter Lee worked well on offence to secure baskets. On defence the team fought to put pressure on a well-organised St. Mary’s side. The scoreline going into the second quarter was 13-10 to St. Mary’s.

The tide of the game turned in the second quarter, as a very strong St. Mary’s side applied pressure on defence and ran a strong and effective offence. A 3-pointer by Jose Carlos de la Cuesta wasn’t enough to catch up with a leading St. Mary’s, as the first half ended in a score of 27-14.

Despite the score, the team came back, ready to close the gap. Rocky Kenneally worked well under the boards to secure rebounds and get the ball back in the net. Co-captain, Santiago Franza helped create fast-break opportunities with effective interceptions on defence. Despite scoring more baskets in the third quarter, the team hadn’t done enough to catch up on the St. Mary’s lead.

The final quarter began with a score of 40-28. The squad worked hard to even the score, but unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough this time as an energetic and aggressive St. Mary’s side found their stride in the final quarter, finishing with a strong lead of 59-37.

Co-captains Peter Lee and Santiago Franza can be proud of their and their teammates’ efforts over the course of the season. Leading the offensive charge was Peter Lee (26 points). Jose Carlos, Carlos Bellon and Collie Breslin worked well on defence to maintain pressure on St. Mary’s. The team have shown great commitment coming to training each week. They have improved a lot as a team both offensively and defensively.

We thank our coach Ms Fitzsimons for her work with the squad throughout the season – foundations laid for future years.