SETU Waterford Wildcats remain six points clear at the top of Women’s Super League after they prevailed 94-91 in an epic battle against defending champions, Killester that went to overtime in Mercy College on Sunday afternoon.
SETU Waterford Wildcats capped off a huge double-game weekend for them in Women’s Super League with an enthralling 94-91 overtime victory against defending champions, Killester in Mercy College on Sunday afternoon.
Ashia McCalla, who held her nerve on the free-throw line to effectively force overtime, then delivered the buzzer-beating three that separated these two sides at the close of an epic battle, Wildcats subsequently remaining six points clear at the summit.
Having barely managed to weather a huge fourth-quarter revival by Trinity Meteors in their narrow 83-79 victory in Coláiste Íosagáin the previous day, Waterford had to again dig very deep to see off a Killester outfit, who, themselves, had carded a 70-52 win over Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers at home on Saturday.
Samantha Haiby served up another big performance with 29 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, but even that could not help inspire Killester to victory, as Wildcats exacted revenge on the Dublin side for their four-point loss on the opening day of the season, Sarah Hickey and McCalla carding a huge 50 points and 30 rebounds between them.
Delighted at the manner in which her side fought their way back from 14 points down early in the second quarter for the win, SETU Waterford Wildcats head coach, Jillian Hayes said “Killester started off really well, but I feel like we showed great resilience and great patience to get ourselves right back in the game by half-time.
“It was a very physical contest from both sides. Both teams really wanted it badly and we’re just delighted to get back-to-back wins. They’re not easy to come by, but it’s fantastic for us to achieve two big wins in such a short space of time” she said.
