McDonagh in top form as Maree back in the hunt

MAREE BC’s Women’s Super League side bounced back from defeat a week ago to claim a 19-point win away to Marble City Hawks in Kilkenny on Saturday, but there was disappointment for the other three Galway sides in the national league.

Both Maree and Moycullen suffered their fourth defeat in five games in the Men’s Super League; while NUIG Mystics lost for the first time this season in the Women’s Division 1 when losing on the road to last Ulster University Elks, the favourites for this year’s title, having been pipped to league and cup honours last season by Maree.

Women’s Super League

Marble City Hawks 54

Maree 73

An 18-point haul and starring display from Galway ladies Gaelic footballer, Aine McDonagh, saw Maree claim the three league points with a win over their Kilkenny hosts that was not as comfortable as the final scoreline suggests.

Maree suffered their first defeat in 26 games when going down 76-70 to last year’s double champions, Liffey Celtics, a week earlier in Oranmore, but they bounced back with a win to give them some momentum heading into their cup trip away to DCU Mercy this Saturday.

They flew out of the blocks in the first quarter, opening up a 19-5 lead midway through an opening 10 minutes which saw McDonagh hit two 3-pointers, with the visitors eventually leading 30-17 at the first buzzer.

There were solid scoring contributions from Carly McLendon and Fiona Scally in that opening quarter; and Hazel Finn got in on the scoring act in the second-quarter, landing a sublime 3-pointer on her way to a game tally of 11 points, but the hosts found their groove and had the deficit back to eight points at the break, with Maree leading 47-39.

Hawks had found a bit of momentum, and at one stage cut Maree’s lead to two points (54-52) when Cassidy Williams hit a 3 – she finished the game with 25 points – midway through the third quarter. However, Maree called a time-out just as Scally was sent to the free-throw line, and the break in play did the trick.

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

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