Guaio guides Coolmine home

BASKETBALL:COOLMINE RAN out Under-19 C All-Ireland league champions with a hard-fought 59-31 victory over CBS Thurles at the National Basketball Arena yesterday. Daryl Guaio hit a huge three as Coolmine started to pull away in the third quarter and the Dublin side took a seemingly insurmountable 39-23 lead into the final quarter.

Thurles could not fashion many clear-cut opportunities as the Coolmine defence blunted their attack and ran out worthy winners.

St Joseph’s Boys School of Derry claimed the Under-19 B League title with an impressive 41-30 victory over CBS Ennistymon of Clare. St Joseph’s closed out the final quarter, impressively quelling Ennistymon’s attempted fightback. Special mention should go to St Josephs’ Kevin Stanley, who picked up the MVP award.

Our Lady’s of Mercy, Drimnagh, won the Under-16 B Girls League finals after a nip and tuck encounter against Presentation of Listowel, who narrowed the deficit to three immediately after the restart in the final quarter but Drimnagh opened up a 10-point lead with two minutes to play and were deserved winners, 28-17.

Ursuline Secondary School of Cork secured the Under-19 C Girls League final, after a 36-30 win over Coláiste Ide from An Daingean, courtesy of a spirited second-half fightback. A frantic finale saw Coláiste Ide try to claw their way back into contention but it was to be Ursuline’s day.

RESULTS – Under-19C Boys: CBS Thurles (Tipperary) 31 (18) (R Zugs 12, S Kenny 11, C Purcell 6) Coolmine CS (Dublin) 59 (23) (K Keane 15, D Guaio 11, C O’Meara 6) MVP: D Guaio (Coolmine CS); Under-19B Boys: CBS Ennistymon (Clare) 30 (16) (C Devitt 14, R Linnane 6, R O’Halloran 6) St Joseph’s Boys (Derry) 41 (21) (K Stanley 16, R Hasson 10, D Harkin 6) MVP: K Stanley (St Joseph’s); Under-16B Girls: OLM Drimnagh (Dublin) 28 (11) (J Sheehan 9, K Moloney 8, J Doyle 4) Presentation SS, Listowel (Kerry) 17 (11) (M Walsh 8, A Shine 4, C Neill 4) MVP: J Sheehan (OLM Drimnagh); Under-19C Girls: Ursuline Blackrock (Cork) 36 (10) (C O’Sullivan 11, A Winning 10, N Barber 7) Colaiste Ide an Daingean (Kerry) 30 (18) (L Toibin 16, S Ní Chodlatáin Lachtna 4, M Ni Chasthaigh 4) MVP: C O’Sullivan (Ursuline).