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U12 Boys
12 Boys Loose Out
U 12 Boys Donagh 15pts Queens Swish 19pts
Unfortunately there was to be no final day place for the gallant under 12 boys as they went down to a Queens Swish team in a close fought exciting semi final, there was very little between the two teams throughout the game and if there was a difference it was the ability to convert enough of the many chances they created.
Gavin McPhillips, Andrew O Connor, Aaron Sherry, Colin McQuaid and Conor McKenna were the first five on for Donagh, the tip off fell to Queens and Donagh were on defence straight away. They weathered that little storm and Andrew took the game to them, he scored with a drive for the first basket and was fouled on another drive and scored one of the resulting free shots. At 3pts up Donagh looked in control but missed a number of gilt edged chances. After a Queens’s time out the pendulum swung and the Belfast team took the upper hand, they equalized with a shot and a free shot. Dylan McKenna came on for Donagh but the Donagh defence was guilty of ball watching as the number 6 scored 2 more baskets. Despite some good play from Colin Donagh did not get their just rewards from this quarter, Queens led by 7pts- 3pts.
The second quarter boys Ryan Treanor, Michael McDonnell, Eoghan Treanor, Jason Hamill and Cormac McKenna came on determined to pull the game back and after a minute had passed you would have said they were in total control. They were on top in defence with Eoghan and Michael strong at the rear, the front three worked extremely hard and they created chances, putting them away was the problem! Eventually Ryan worked his magic and scored twice to level the game. Andrew McKenna came on and with a little more luck Donagh would have went ahead but there was one problem emerging and that was the lack of offensive rebounds, the first quarter lads were at fault too, everybody ball watching and nobody rebounding. The chance to forge ahead was missed. Score was 7pts each.
Andrew, Ryan, Cormac, Colin and Andrew McKenna came on for the third quarter and for the first few minutes they defended well. They passed the ball well too and eventually Andrew scored. When Colin scored with a drive and a shot to put 4pts between them it looked like Donagh would get the upper hand but Queens quickly took a time out made a few changes. The next score would be crucial and the Queens 5 scored it and the resulting free shot. Andrew picked up a 4th foul and came off, Jason, Conor and Gavin came on and after a nice passing move Colin scored to put Donagh ahead by 3pts. What happened next was criminal, no sooner had the ball dropped through the net than the number 5 dribbled up the full length of the court and scored unopposed, Donagh had lost their concentration just for a second and now went into the interval just 1pt up.
The last quarter was a tale of missed chances, shots not dropping and poor rebounding. Queens came out the stronger and their number 6 punished some poor marking and scored the first basket; when he slipped in again Donagh were in trouble and 2pts down. Cormac’s quick hands won a great steal and he pulled up for a tricky shot and scored to leave 1pt between them. Donagh came back hard at Queens but shots from Aaron, Dylan and Ryan were so close to dropping but didn’t. Donagh were defending successfully but that came at a price as they committed a few too many fouls. Team fouls put the Queens 11 on the line and he put in one of his free shots to leave 2pts between them. With 48 seconds left on the clock, Donagh would get one more opportunity; they had an inbounds ball from the free throw line extended and with a worked out play could have got a shot on the basket, but a very harsh 5 second violation call by the referee put pay to that and Queens had possession, they were fouled going up the court and to his credit the little number 12 put both shots away. The final score was Donagh 15pts Queens 19pts.
The lads were disappointed and rightly so, they put a lot of work in from September and have improved so much, this experience will stand to them in future years.
Team and Scorers: Andrew O Connor 5pts, Ryan Treanor 4pts, Colin McQuaid 4pts, Cormac McKenna 2pts, Andrew McKenna, Aaron Sherry, Conor McKenna, Dylan McKenna, Eoghan Treanor, Gavin McPhillips, Jason Hamill and Michael McDonnell.
U 12 Boys Donagh 15pts Queens Swish 19pts
Unfortunately there was to be no final day place for the gallant under 12 boys as they went down to a Queens Swish team in a close fought exciting semi final, there was very little between the two teams throughout the game and if there was a difference it was the ability to convert enough of the many chances they created.
Gavin McPhillips, Andrew O Connor, Aaron Sherry, Colin McQuaid and Conor McKenna were the first five on for Donagh, the tip off fell to Queens and Donagh were on defence straight away. They weathered that little storm and Andrew took the game to them, he scored with a drive for the first basket and was fouled on another drive and scored one of the resulting free shots. At 3pts up Donagh looked in control but missed a number of gilt edged chances. After a Queens’s time out the pendulum swung and the Belfast team took the upper hand, they equalized with a shot and a free shot. Dylan McKenna came on for Donagh but the Donagh defence was guilty of ball watching as the number 6 scored 2 more baskets. Despite some good play from Colin Donagh did not get their just rewards from this quarter, Queens led by 7pts- 3pts.
The second quarter boys Ryan Treanor, Michael McDonnell, Eoghan Treanor, Jason Hamill and Cormac McKenna came on determined to pull the game back and after a minute had passed you would have said they were in total control. They were on top in defence with Eoghan and Michael strong at the rear, the front three worked extremely hard and they created chances, putting them away was the problem! Eventually Ryan worked his magic and scored twice to level the game. Andrew McKenna came on and with a little more luck Donagh would have went ahead but there was one problem emerging and that was the lack of offensive rebounds, the first quarter lads were at fault too, everybody ball watching and nobody rebounding. The chance to forge ahead was missed. Score was 7pts each.
Andrew, Ryan, Cormac, Colin and Andrew McKenna came on for the third quarter and for the first few minutes they defended well. They passed the ball well too and eventually Andrew scored. When Colin scored with a drive and a shot to put 4pts between them it looked like Donagh would get the upper hand but Queens quickly took a time out made a few changes. The next score would be crucial and the Queens 5 scored it and the resulting free shot. Andrew picked up a 4th foul and came off, Jason, Conor and Gavin came on and after a nice passing move Colin scored to put Donagh ahead by 3pts. What happened next was criminal, no sooner had the ball dropped through the net than the number 5 dribbled up the full length of the court and scored unopposed, Donagh had lost their concentration just for a second and now went into the interval just 1pt up.
The last quarter was a tale of missed chances, shots not dropping and poor rebounding. Queens came out the stronger and their number 6 punished some poor marking and scored the first basket; when he slipped in again Donagh were in trouble and 2pts down. Cormac’s quick hands won a great steal and he pulled up for a tricky shot and scored to leave 1pt between them. Donagh came back hard at Queens but shots from Aaron, Dylan and Ryan were so close to dropping but didn’t. Donagh were defending successfully but that came at a price as they committed a few too many fouls. Team fouls put the Queens 11 on the line and he put in one of his free shots to leave 2pts between them. With 48 seconds left on the clock, Donagh would get one more opportunity; they had an inbounds ball from the free throw line extended and with a worked out play could have got a shot on the basket, but a very harsh 5 second violation call by the referee put pay to that and Queens had possession, they were fouled going up the court and to his credit the little number 12 put both shots away. The final score was Donagh 15pts Queens 19pts.
The lads were disappointed and rightly so, they put a lot of work in from September and have improved so much, this experience will stand to them in future years.
Team and Scorers: Andrew O Connor 5pts, Ryan Treanor 4pts, Colin McQuaid 4pts, Cormac McKenna 2pts, Andrew McKenna, Aaron Sherry, Conor McKenna, Dylan McKenna, Eoghan Treanor, Gavin McPhillips, Jason Hamill and Michael McDonnell.
