Ireland’s series against Portugal ended in defeat
Ireland’s senior women had a hard-fought final in their two-game series against Portugal, which ended in a 72-62 defeat in Porto.
After losing the first game of the series yesterday, a good start is crucial for James Weldon’s team. Slow starts were also a common theme in last weekend’s series against Estonia. From the start, it was a nightmare for Ireland, seeing the Portuguese go 10-0.
Bridget Herlihy’s two free throws marked the scoring for Ireland, kicking off an impressive campaign for time with a 17-9 lead after the first.
The previous points were scored by the bench Desdeya Maguis before the break, who scored the bench and won their defensive quintes, who played for the first time Michelle Clarke, who 11 years. Just as Ireland handled it 36-26 at half-time, so did Ireland’s hot streak.
The third quarter started similarly to the first quarter. Portugal jumped to a 7-0 lead, and Weldon’s team went up 43-26. To their credit, players like Claire Melia and Captain Edel Thornton were tasked with filling in the Kate Hickey gap, while the novache-key in the setup entered the lineup of important moves that were converted.
It would be a true test of Ireland’s mettle in fourth, 17 points back, an Irish team that worked hard made it a game. Bridget Herlihy grabbed six rebounds over the course of the game for Ireland, inspiring when needed. Michelle Clarke and Dayna Finn started a 13-2 streak for Ireland, who rejoined the match with four minutes remaining. Clark finished with a total of 19 points, shooting 62% from the three-point line.
The Portugal team showed their guts from there, keeping a ball very well and suppressing Ireland’s attack. Another three matches from Michelle Clark and a few final points from Herlihy weren’t enough to close the gap, as Portugal won a match 72-6.
Speaking after the game, coach James Weldon said: “I thought today was going to be a good game. I thought they handled the pressure and the physique very well. We pick up where we left off kicking the ball and kicking it well. In short, a very continuous display against a great time in Portugal.
Overall a positive experience for James Weldon’s time against the difficulties faced. In the first and last quarters, they were slowly fading away, but there were many positives in the series. Eight newcomers have been called up to Estonia and Portugal and Basketball match-readers Bridget Herlihy looking like a useful player when the Netherlands visit Arena Ball in late November.
Quarterly scores (POR x IRL)
Q1: 17-9
Q2: 19-17 (36-26)
Q3: 24-17 (60-43)
Q4: 12-19 (72-62)
the three scorers
Portugal -Maria Correa 17 points, Maria Kosturkova 11 points, Marcia Robalo 9 points.
Ireland – Michelle Clarke 19 points, Bridget Herlihy 15 points, Edel Thornton 7 points
Ireland team:
Michelle Clarke (19), Dayna Finn (6), Rachel Huistens (2), Edel Thornton (7), Claire Melia (5), Sarah Kenny (2), Aine O’Connor (4), Maeve Bellon, Bronagh Power- Cassidy, Enya Maguire, Bridget Herlihy (15), Kate Hickey (2).