Basketball News
St. Nathy’s College had a very enjoyable and successful basketball season with all the highs and lows that come when involved in sport.
Girls Basketball.
The U-16 Girls went all the way to the top reaching the All Ireland Schools Cup Final only to lose out at the final hurdle. They had a tremendous run in the Schools Cup beating Muckross Park College Dublin, Rathoath College Meath and a magnificent victory over St Columba’s College, Rathfarnham in the semi-final. Unfortunately, they lost out in the final to a very strong team from Gort C.S. in the National Basketball Arena Tallaght on the 19th January. They put up a brave fight on the day and even with the wonderful supporters from St. Nathy’s, it wasn’t to be their day. In the West Regional league the U16’s reached the quarter- final stage where they lost to Presentation Athenry.
Team:
Megan McCormack (capt), Anna Creaton, Shannon Doherty, Lisa Flanagan, Elizabeth Loftus, Ada Szwarc, Meave Cox, Orla O’Dowd, Sara Dowling, Niamh Jordan, Cora McDermott, Shannon Dowd, Hanna Heald, Orlaith Towey, Louise Regan.
The U-19 Girls started their season with a great away victory over Methodist College, Belfast in the 1st round of the All Ireland Schools Cup but unfortunately they lost out to Gortnor Abbey, Crossmolina in the second round. They had an unbelievable, unbeaten run in the Western Regional League until the final stage. Along the way, they accounted for Castlerea C.S., Dunmore C.S., Presentation Tuam, Gort C.S., St. Joseph’s Castlebar and in the final of the Western Region they lost out in a close and exciting encounter to St. Michael’s Claremorris. As Regional finalists, the U-19’s qualified for the All-Ireland Tournament play-offs which were held at St. Nathy’s . On the day they beat St. Michael’s Lurgan, Armagh, Scoil Mhuire Ennis, Limerick and again coming up short by just 3 points to near neighbours St. Mary’s Ballisodare who progressed in the All-Ireland series.
Team:
Laura McHugh, Claire Farrell, Catriona McDermott, Kelly Coleman, Ann-Marie Coleman, Lauren Feeney, Rebecca Finan, Maeveen Greene, Caoimhe Towey, Niamh Flannery, Niamh O’Donnell, Lisa Flanagan, Elizabeth Loftus, Megan McCormack, Anna Creaton, Shannon Doherty.
The First and Second Year girls started their Western regional league campaign with wins over Castlerea C.S. and Presentation Tuam. The First Years continued their winning ways against Dunmore C.S. but the Second Years lost out in a thriller that went to over-time. Both teams had reached the last 16 where the First Years beat Ard Scoil Mhuire Ballinasloe by the narrowest of margins 14- 12. The Second Years beat Coláiste Baile Chláir, Claregalway, also by a single basket 28-26. At the quarter final stage they both met our rivals Gort C.S. The First Years advanced to the regional semi-finals after beating Gort in a nail-biting game from start to finish with a final score of 33-32. However, the Second Years came up short on the day where nothing went their way and lost out on a score of 25- 37. On to the regional semi-finals where the opposition this time for the First Year girls was St. Joseph’s Castlebar and – like all their games – the commitment and determination was to the fore again where they put up a huge battle to reach the final, but only to lose out in the dying minutes by 3 points.
1st Year Team:
Erin Phillips, Niamh O’Dowd, Sasha Lavin, Sian Kelly, Eva Lavin, Jessica Feeney, Clara O’Donnell, Lisa Powell, Katelyn Hanley, Anna Regan, Catriona Regan, Louise Costello, Aoife Coleman, Anna Davey, Ciara McElroy.
2nd Year Team:
Louise Regan, Shauna Golden, Hanna Heald, Orlaith Towey, Emily Maxwell, Anna Loftus, Katie Kennedy, Rachel Regan, Ellen Murray, Tara Higgins, Shauna Noonan, Lorna Flynn, Jessica Timon, Laura Moffitt, Vada Duffy, Blathin McDonnell, Chloe Hanley.
Boys Basketball.
The U-19 boys had a quiet season, mainly due to their young age, all 16yrs old and playing U-19.
They met St Mel’s Longford in the first round of the Schools Cup where they struggled in the early stages of the game losing by 20 points at the half. The St. Nathy’s boys dug deep in the second half and at the final whistle had reduced the gap to 64- 51.
In the North/West Regional league they started off with a victory over St. Muredach’s College, Ballina but that was the end of their success as they came up against two very physically strong teams in St. Mary’s Ballisodare and Mohill C.S.
U19 team:
Domhnaill Forrest, Darragh Lowry, Ronan Mulligan, Oisin McDonnell, Salman Haider, Ciaran Lavin, Ronan Cahill, Darren McDermott, Sohaib Hidayat, Ryan Tansey, Ryan Corrigan, Owais Zulifqar.
The U-16 Boys opened their season with a home game in the Schools Cup against a very strong team from Dublin, Castleknock Community College. St. Nathy’s struggled with the opposition’s height and speed and were defeated 52- 19.
However the St. Nathy’s boys bounced back in the North/West league with two wins in a row at the expence of St. Muredach’s Ballina and St. Mary’s Ballisodare. Their final game against Mohill C.S. ended in defeat but having secured two wins they took the runner-up spot in the league.
U16 Team:
Josh McDermott, Daniel Tansey, Ciaran Guilfoyle, Rioghan Lowry, Aiden Rogers, Jack Craughwell, Colin Dwyer, Ciaran Walsh, Jamie Maxwell, Stephen O’Gara, Evan Phillips, Matthew Webb, Joseph Waldron, David Regan, Eoin Egan.
The First and Second Year boys eagerly started their league campaign with both enjoying success against St. Muredach’s Ballina. Their next game was against Jesus & Mary Gortnor Abbey where the Second Years continued their winning way but the First Years narrowly lost out. In their final league games they took on Coláiste Cholmcille, Ballyshannon, a school just regarded from ‘A’ . St. Nathy’s struggled with the opposition’s sharpness and speed with the First Years losing out 41- 21 but the Second Years putting up a great battle and only losing out 34-27. The Second Years finished up in the runner-up position in the league where they went on to play in the All Ireland Play-offs held in St. Nathy’s on Sunday 26th April. The Second Year boys took on St. Mary’s Galway in their first game, a thrilling game from start to finish with never more than a couple of points between them at any point. The final score St. Nathy’s 27, St Mary’s 30. St Nathy’s played Patrician H.S. Carrickmacross in their second game where they again had another really tough game and despite a great effort lost out by 7 points, St. Nathy’s 30, Patrician H.S. 37. As St. Mary’s Galway also won their game against Patrician H.S. they were the team to progress to the All-Ireland Semi-final.
2nd Year Team;
Gerard Forrest, Rioghan Lowry, David McHugh, Jamie Lunt, Keelan O’Callaghan, Patrick O’Grady, David McBrien, Adam McAllister, Eli Towey, Kieran Horan, Ronan Kelly, Neil Dozio, Daniel Mee.
1st Year Team:
Cameron Lunt, Jack Freeman, Chris Kennedy, Lucas Gallad, Dean Ingram, Conor McGreal, Usama Israr, Abdullah Mohamad, Matthew Dillon, Jamie Mitchel, Tommy O’Connor, Phillip Thacker, Colm O’Sullivan, Kieran Friel, Aaron Dowd, James Albright, Patrick Coleman, Aaron McNamara, Robert Donnelly.