Tralee Magic’s U20 women opened the defence of their Ken Clarke National Cup title with a convincing 87–35 win over Malahide at Mounthawk Secondary School – a scoreline built on trademark pressure defence and a balanced scoring spread right across the roster, but one that doesn’t fully reflect the effort and quality shown by the visitors.

Magic came out with real intent, pushing the tempo from the jump and turning early stops into transition scores. Holly O’Brien and Muireann Teahan set the tone with aggressive drives to the basket, while Rachel Creedon and Mary Kate Smith punished any gaps in the Malahide defence. Tralee poured in 31 first-quarter points to lead 31–13 after ten minutes, but Malahide’s willingness to keep shooting the ball – particularly through Zoe Egan and Emily O’Connor – made it clear this was going to be a competitive contest, not a procession.

The second quarter saw Magic tighten the screws defensively. Kelly Fitzgerald and Orla O’Mahony were excellent in the passing lanes, creating steals and deflections that disrupted Malahide’s rhythm. Inside, Priya O’Donovan and Gracie O’Sullivan worked hard on the boards, limiting the Dublin side to one shot and drawing contact on the other end. Tralee added another 20 points in the period to lead comfortably at the half, but Malahide continued to battle, with Ria Mullam and Ellie Doyle showing real composure under pressure and refusing to let the game slip away without a response.

Malahide’s best spell came in the third quarter, when their outside shooting clicked and they posted 14 points in the period. Egan (14 points) hit some tough scores and O’Connor (13 points) consistently found ways to get on the board, supported by smart minutes from Aobhin Byrne, Emma McPartland and Keela Farrell. Their willingness to keep competing, to box out, run the floor and contest every possession, ensured the standard on court stayed high and the crowd were treated to a proper Cup battle rather than a one-sided affair.

For Magic, the third and early fourth quarters underlined just how balanced this group is. Anna O’Sullivan top-scored with 12 points, attacking the lane and finishing strongly while also knocking down her free throws. O’Brien, Teahan and O’Mahony each added 11 points to showcase a three-pronged scoring punch from the perimeter, with Creedon (8) and O’Donovan (8) chipping in with big baskets of their own. Mary Kate Smith’s 7 points came at important moments to keep the scoreboard ticking, while Emily Flynn (9) provided a real spark, pushing the pace and getting to the line. Grace Lucid added 3 points and some strong defensive possessions.  Lucy O’Donnell's defence and rebounding were a big part of Magic’s ability to maintain intensity every time the lineup changed.

By the final buzzer, Magic’s depth told: all twelve players saw meaningful minutes and eleven got on the scoresheet. Team totals of 27 made two-pointers and 6 three-pointers showed the variety in their offence, while a 52-point biggest lead reflected how consistently they executed over four quarters. There will be learnings too – 15 of 37 from the free-throw line is an obvious area to tidy up as the Cup run continues – but as an opening statement in the defence of a national title, this was an impressive one.

For Malahide, there was plenty to be proud of despite the margin. They made 7 three-pointers of their own, kept playing the right way, and showed great togetherness on a long trip to face the reigning champions. Egan and O’Connor carried much of the scoring load but were ably supported by Mullam, Doyle, Farrell, Byrne, McPartland, Caragh O’Sullivan and Kate Symes, all of whom worked tirelessly on both ends of the floor. Their attitude and effort throughout were a credit to their club and coaches.

Tralee Magic now move forward in the Ken Clarke U20 National Cup with one win on the board and plenty of positives to build on. A big thank you to Malahide for travelling, to the officials and table crew for their work on the day, and to the supporters from both clubs who created such a great atmosphere for the opening step in this year’s Cup journey. 💙