Utility Trust St Paul’s 100
Marble City Hawks 46
Report: Enda Walshe
Utility Trust St Paul’s limbered up for their massive league semi-final next weekend at home with a routine win over the Marble City Hawks in O’Loughlin Gaels GAA Club.
With a busy few weeks for some of the squad with other commitments, coach James Fleming chose to assign some downtime to some integral figures with Lorraine Scanlon, Niamh Ni Chonchuir, Siobhan Burns and Leah McMahon all on the easy list with GAA commitments.
It did little to disrupt the rhythm that they have been accumulating of late and also had the upside of giving much deserved game time to the likes of Cliona Coffey.
MVP last weekend, Meabh Barry continued her good vein of form while the usual suspects of Khiarica Rasheed and Sofia Paska led the scoring returns.
With the steady hands of Rheanne O’Shea and Denise Dunlea at the wheel, the Hawks, without their two Americans Briana Bailey and Olivia Crigler, had no answer to the visitors, despite the efforts of Aoibhin Dunphy and Faye McDonnell.
Khiarica Rasheed was prolific in the first quarter and Denise Dunlea, who started on the bench, poured in five points and St Paul’s ominously opened up a 28-15 first quarter lead.
They remained dominant through the strong play of Sofia Paska with Rheanne O’Shea and Meabh Barry scoring at will to build up a 49-27 interval advantage.
Rheanne O’Shea kick-started a third quarter purple patch – she hit eight points early – with Denise Dunlea and Meabh Barry taking the cue to open it out to 68-31.
Paska and Rasheed kept the scoreboard ticking going into the last quarter which was a formality. Paska, Rasheed and O’Shea all chipped in a further five points each, Lynn Jones hit her customary three while Cliona Coffey hit a neat basket to cap off her night’s work.
It helped St Paul’s hit the century mark as they ran out winners on a 100-46 scoreline.
Sofia Paska hit 27 points, Khiarica Rasheed had 26, Rheanne O’Shea shot 16. Denise Dunlea 13, Lynn Jones five and Cliona Coffey two.
For the Hawks Faye McDonnell shot 14 and Aoibhin Dunphy hit 12.
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