All-Ireland Success for St. Aidan's
St. Aidan’s Comprehensive, Cootehill 77
Colaiste an Spioraid Naoimh, Bishopstown 60
History was made in the National Basketball Arena on Monday afternoon when St. Aidan’s Comprehensive senior boys won the All-Ireland Senior B Schools Cup beating Colaiste and Spioraid Naoimh from Cork on a score-line of 77-60. In the process they became the first school from Co Cavan to win a national basketball title at senior level. The Cork City team went into the game as favourites but were undone by an excellent all round team performance of St. Aidan’s in which point-guard Dean Connolly deservedly picked up the ‘Most Valuable Player’ award.
The two teams were very well matched on paper with a good balance between rebounders and perimeter players. With the height of both teams the rebounding battle under the baskets was intense throughout but it was one in which St. Aidan’s through the hard work of Darren Tiernan, Andrius Aukstakis, Ronan McDonald, and Anthony Brady ultimately prevailed.
Early nerves meant the game was slow to settle into a pattern. CSN opened the scoring with two points from Conor Deasy. St. Aidans’s responded with scores from Darren Tiernan and Andrius Aukstakis. Halfway into the first quarter the game exploded into life with three pointers from Conor Deasy and St. Aidan’s captain Eoin Roche. In the last four minutes of the quarter St. Aidan’s played some outstanding basketball with Tiernan and Aukstakis dominating at both ends of the court. At the end of the first quarter they had built a significant lead of 22-9 but had got Paul Harrison, CSN’s key rebounder onto three fouls.
Six foot seven, Barry Denieffe and Irish U16 international Brendan Kiely came into the game for CSN at the start of the second quarter and contributed to an improved display for their team. CSN also changed tactics, changing their defence to man-to -man and pressing up the court. St. Aidan’s point guard Dean Connolly however continued to control the game, never losing possession and setting his team up for many of their scores. Aukstakis continued his scoring and had 20 points by half time. The substitution of Tiernan and Roche on three fouls did nothing to diminish as Ronan McDonald and Darragh McMenamin proved very effective replacements. Two free throws at the whistle by Connolly extended Cootehill’s lead to 38-28 at half time.
Connolly and Roche extended the lead to thirteen in early stages of the final quarter. CSN then had their best period of the game with a run of ten points and with six minutes remaining there was five points between the teams. A time-out by St. Aidan’s broke the cork side’s rhythm and two vital free throws by Ronan McDonald got them back on track. With the three big rebounders for Colaiste and Spoiraid Naoimh fouling out in the closing minutes Roche, Connolly and Anthony Brady took control of the game and guided St. Aidan’s to victory. When Ciaran Pearson scored on the final whistle there was amazing scenes of joy and celebration for both the team and large travelling support. Eoin Roche accepted the cup on behalf of this team.
St. Aidan’s team score in brackets
Conor Scorr, Anthony Brady (4), Darren Tiernan (9), Eoin Roche (21), Eoghan Hillis, Dean Connolly (9), Ronan McDonald (5), Darragh McMenamin, Killian Brady, Ciaran Pearson (2), Liam Gaffney, Andrius Aukstakis (27), Joshua Dancey, Colm Grogan and Liam Keane
Below are some photos from the day
