Tralee Magic’s U20 women are heading back to Cup semi-final weekend in January after edging Killester 80–77 in a Ken Clarke U20 Women’s National Cup classic in Mercy Mounthawk.

On an afternoon when town was packed with Christmas events,  a small crowd made it to Mounthawk – but those who did were treated to one of the most exciting games the gym has seen in years. By the fourth quarter they were at high doe, lifting the noise levels and quite literally helping to push Magic over the line.

Magic set the tone from the tip, taking the first quarter 17–15 and then turning the screw in the middle quarters (21–12 and 21–13) to carry a 59–40 advantage into the final ten minutes. At one stage the lead stretched to 21 points.

Muireann Teahan was at the heart of everything offensively. She poured in a game-high 21 points, relentlessly attacking the paint and earning 14 trips to the line.

Holly O’Brien matched that aggression, finishing with 19 points built on eight made two-pointers and a perfect cutting and driving game.

On the perimeter, Priya O’Donovan caught fire. She also finished with 19 points, including a huge five three-pointers that had Killester scrambling to adjust defensively.

Inside, Kelly Fitzgerald’s footwork and strength gave Magic a real presence around the rim as she added 10 points, while Rachel Creedon chipped in 7 – including a timely three – to keep the scoreboard ticking.

By half-time Magic had already hit four threes and were winning the battle inside the arc, racking up 24 made two-pointers by the end of the night compared to Killester’s 21. The only concern was at the foul line, where Magic would finish 11-of-28, leaving the door open for a comeback.

Killester refused to go away. They trailed all afternoon, but with four ties and three lead changes across the game, they kept asking questions.

The Dublin side did their damage from the stripe, shooting an impressive 23-of-32 on free throws. Laura McFarland led their scoring with 21 points, hitting 11 of her 16 attempts at the line and working tirelessly in the paint. Sarah Courtney added 18 points, including 7-of-10 from the stripe, while Sarah Power powered her way to 13 points and Amy Elliott chipped in 9 with a couple of big scores and a 2-of-2 return on free throws. Nora Allen’s 10 points – including two threes – were another key part of the fightback.

All that pressure came to a head in a wild final quarter. Killester exploded for 37 points in the last ten minutes as whistles mounted and Magic’s foul count climbed to 23 team fouls. McFarland and Courtney kept marching to the line, Power battled until she fouled out, and suddenly that 21-point cushion was melting away.

That was the moment the small Mounthawk crowd came to life. Every stop, every rebound and every made basket was roared home as Magic dug in.

Teahan, O’Brien and O’Donovan continued to shoulder the scoring load, but this was very much a squad win. Fitzgerald battled on four fouls to anchor the interior. Creedon’s energy on both ends was vital.

Off the bench, Lucy O’Donnell gave important minutes, adding 2 points and finishing with the team’s best plus/minus. Emily Flynn brought real defensive intensity in her stint on court, while Orla O’Mahony’s driving, Gracie O’Sullivan’s hustle, Aimee Turner’s defensive rotations and Grace Lucid’s composure all played their part in helping Magic weather the storm and hold that narrow lead.

In the end, despite being outscored 37–21 in the final period, Magic showed massive character to close out an 80–77 victory and keep their Ken Clarke Cup defence alive.

Next stop: Cork

The reward is a Cup semi-final date with Templeogue in Cork during National Cup semi-final weekend in January.

After a performance like this – full of shot-making, grit and composure under pressure – the girls have earned another shot at the big prize. Next time, we’ll be hoping that small but crowd grows will be ready to travel and make some serious noise as the U20s chase a return to the National Cup final. 💙