Maree complete the perfect campaign in champion style

Maree 73

Ulster Elks 65

MAREE Basketball Club’s senior women’s side made history on Sunday when they captured the League Cup title at the DCU Sports Complex in Dublin to complete the season unbeaten and claim a clean sweep of titles.

In doing so, they became the first women’s team made up entirely of Irish players to go through a season unbeaten, and planning is already underway for their step-up to the Superleague for the 2019/20 campaign.

Irish international Claire Rockall capped a stellar year back with her local club by picking up the game’s MVP award, her haul of 31 points and 10 rebounds helping drive her side to the win, but there were stars throughout the team.

It was fitting that the ball was in the hands of co-captain, Carol McCarthy, as the final buzzer sounded, as she has been one of the unsung heroes in the side this year, no more so than on Sunday when she steadied the Maree ship as Elks mounted a fourth quarter fightback.

Having once trailed by 19 points, the Belfast side closed the gap to two points late in the final quarter, only for McCarthy to nail a shot from outside the arc to push the lead to five. When Elks went up the court to cut the gap to three, McCarthy responded with yet another 3 to push the lead back out to six and effectively kill-off seal the crown for Maree.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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