THERE were great scenes of celebration when Bantry Basketball Club’s U12 boys secured the league title with a brilliant win over Ballincollig in the Parochial Hall.
The young side rounded off a near-perfect season with a strong team performance, full of grit, determination, and skill.
In a repeat of the recent cup final, Bantry got off to a flying start, racing into a 4-0 lead. Ballincollig responded quickly, drawing level after just three minutes. But with the Cork side getting into early foul trouble, Bantry capitalised from the free-throw line and edged ahead, leading 11-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Ballincollig come into the game strongly, working hard under the boards and cutting the deficit to just one point at the break – Bantry 20, Ballincollig 19.
Bantry regrouped well in the second half, stepping up their defence and finding their scoring touch again. They pushed out to a seven-point lead by the end of the third quarter and never looked back. Staying calm under pressure and playing smart basketball, the boys in blue saw out the game to take a well-earned 45–36 win.
It capped off a fantastic season for a team and their coaches Nuala Carey and Evin Harrington, whose guidance and support played a huge part in the team’s success. The future of Bantry basketball is certainly looking bright!
