SETU Wildcats to face Trinity Meteors in the playoffs
Wildcats coach Jillian Hayes talking to her team during a time-out. Photos: Noel Browne
On Saturday last, SETU Wildcats played their final game of the regular season of Basketball Ireland's Super League in Dublin. A win away to Killester was on the cards for most of the game and would have given the STS-sponsored Waterford side 5 victories in succession. But when coaches and players look back on the game statistics, it will show their indiscipline in defence proved costly as they gave the opposition the opportunity to beat them with free throws, of which they gladly slotted home to give Killester a 4-point win 77-73.
The Dubliners were first on the scoreboard with a three-pointer, which was followed up by three more scores from close range. Then, a variation of quality baskets from Sarah Hickey closed the gap to 11-9 for the home side after 5 minutes. Gradually, the difference was extended once more as poor turnovers by the Wildcats were snapped up and converted into scores, giving Killester a 20-13 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
As the game progressed, Kate Hickey added 3 unanswered baskets to the Wildcats total, cutting the difference to a single point, and that's how it stayed as scores were traded before the Dubliners went to the break leading 33-32.
From the restart, Sanija Brikmane hit a three-pointer to edge the Wildcats ahead, and then Alyssa Durazo and Tiarra Brown added to the Wildcats advantage, signalling a positive result might happen for the pride of the South East.
But time after time, consistent fouling by the Wildcats kept Killester in the game with the sides tied on 46 points each with three minutes to go in the third quarter. Just then, Sarah Hickey suffered a nasty blow to the head and had to leave the game for medical attention. She did return to the fray midway through the final quarter, but by then the home side had a 10-point advantage. Never throwing in the towel, Wildcats battled on, and a range of scores from Durazo, Brown and the Hickey sisters left the game on a knife-edge before Killester hit a couple of three pointers that got them over the line, winning by 77 points to 73. In two weeks’ time, the Wildcats go into the quarter-final of the Super League playoffs and have as good a chance as any team of progressing further, provided they maintain their discipline.
