SETU Wildcats suffer a second home loss in Brunell defeat
Great to see Wildcats Jasmine Walker back playing again on Saturday night last.
SETU Wildcats suffered their 2nd home loss of the season when they lost to Brunell of Cork on a scoreline of 76-82 at the Mercy Sports Hall on Saturday last.
Expectations were high in the STS-sponsored Wildcats camp after a superb victory away to Dublin Meteors the previous Saturday. On that occasion, the star of the show was Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, who hit eight three-pointers in a 32-point game high score.
No doubt the Brunell side had done their homework, and from the word go, they focused on shutting down the Wildcats' hotshot with tenacious defence. Indeed, overall, the visitors' defence as a unit was excellent, closing the door on every offensive effort from the home team, forcing them to take last-gasp shots, which they missed time after time.
Midway through the opening quarter, the Wildcats had notched up just 3 points to their opponents' 12. Three consecutive baskets from Jazz Walker, Kate, and Sarah Hickey reduced the deficit to 9-14 by the quarter's end.
The second quarter saw Wildcats come more into the game with Sarah Hickey hitting 12 points and Alyssa adding 10 more while Kate Hickey and Jazz walker were also on target, but their efforts were matched by Brunell, who went to the break leading by three points, 37 - 40.
One standout player on the night was Brunell American post player Maddie Cluse, who was simply outstanding.
She was everywhere, both ends of the floor, rebounding and scoring with fire in her belly. She was the main difference, and her 35-point tally proved vital in her team's victory.
Going into the final quarter, the Wildcats were very much into the game, trailing 53-56 with a noisy home crowd urging on their every effort.
The tempo or the physicality of the game never dropped, even into the final minutes, where the Wildcats were still only three points adrift with 3 minutes to play.
Then all hope of a hard-fought victory was quenched when the Brunell star of the show, Maddie Cluse, blazed consecutive three pointers to seal the deal, giving the visitors a well-deserved 76-82 away win. On the night, three pointers proved to be the difference with Brunell hitting six to just one from the Wildcats.
It's a long way to League play-off time in March, so the Wildcats will need to stay focused and pick up enough points to make sure they are part of Basketball Ireland's final show. This coming Sunday, the STS-sponsored Wildcats travel to the UCC Arena in Cork City to face Glanmire.
