Liffey Celtics do Kildare proud with thrilling National Cup success

Photos by Austin Crowe

Courtyard Liffey Celtics are the Hula Hoops Women’s Paudie O’Connor National Cup Champions for 2019 thanks to a 91-66 win over Singleton SuperValu Brunell at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght yesterday.

19-year-old  Sorcha Tiernan won the Most Valuable Player award and finished the game with 22 points.

Tiernan scored 19 points in the opening half, six of them in the first 90 seconds of the game, as she made five successful ‘three-pointers’ from seven attempts before the half time interval.

Tricia Byrne spearheaded a third quarter flurry by Brunell as they halved the deficit but it was never a serious looking comeback.

Sorcha Tiernan finished the game with 22 points

In the final quarter, Celtic’s Americans Allie LeClaire and Briana Green began to run the show and they pulled away again to win with ease to set up the now distinct possibility of a League and Cup double.