Templeogue 67
St Paul’s 74
Report: Enda Walshe
Another weekend, another victory for Utility Trust St Paul’s over a strong Templeogue side who themselves were unbeaten at home this season and looking to bounce back from their only defeat in the division last weekend in Limerick.
That loss to the Huskies came at a double cost with an injury to Madeline Holland and even though she played 18 minutes in this game her influence was never enough to overturn the league leaders.
St Paul’s now sit top of the pile with seven wins from seven games and like all good teams they find a way to win.
It’s obvious too that coach James Fleming’s squad have built a strong team spirit, something new signing Khiarica Rasheed can immediately tap into. Rasheed, who won a Superleague title last year with Glanmire last season, said: “The team is so competitive and our mentality going into every game is to win no matter how close the game may be.
She added: “In those close games that you do come through, it helps build up the spirit and that’s really beneficial for us as a team”.
Leah McMahon’s recent performances were rewarded with a starting five berth but the first quarter belonged to Rheanne O’Shea with her 11 helping her side into a 23-9 lead but the half-time advantage was whittled down to 37-33.
The third quarter saw a big increase in intensity as both teams ramped up their efforts and it ended with Paul’s leading 57-54.
The St Paul’s defence was at its most intense in the last quarter and the team got energy from that, best exemplified by Rasheed who pulled down a big rebound to score and net the subsequent free throw. That play gave the visitors its biggest lead since the first quarte, and with the whiff of success in their nostrils Meabh Barry and Lynn Jones drove him the advantage as St Paul’s ran out 74-67 winners.
Rasheed, consistent throughout, top scored for the winners on 18 points. She is enjoying her year so far, laying down a lot of credit to last year’s experiences: ” I learned a lot from Britany Byrd (her American teammate at Glanmire) who showed me the ropes alongside my teammates pushing me to be more aggressive. This year I’m playing in a new position and I’m stepping more into that scorer mentality”.
St Pauls are certainly getting the benefit of Rasheeds new-found responsibility.
Sofia Paska and Rheanne O’Shea both hit 16 points, Lorraine Scanlon had 13, Lynn Jones five, Leah McMahon four and Meabh Barry two.
For Templeogue Lynn Tunnah had a game high 24 points.
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