Abbey Under 19 Win Ulster Basketball Title

©Abbey Grammar School, Newry

On Friday the 27th of November the Abbey Under 19 basketball team travelled to Antrim Forum for their Ulster final against St Michael’s Lurgan. Abbey were favourites to win having already beaten a strong St Michael’s team previously. St Michaels had a point to prove. St Michaels started strong scoring the first basket of the game, the abbey boys matched each score and by the end of the first quarter the Abbey were down by 2 points.

During the second quarter St Michael’s came out strong and went ahead by four points. The Abbey boys began to fight back but St Michaels kept them at bay, with Connor Campbell and Niall McArdle fighting for baskets but the St Michael defence was just too strong. At the half time point the Abbey were down by four points, after a team talk and change in tactics from zone to man to man defence by Mrs McClean, the Abbey boys came out strong with Tian yu Guo, and Niall Byrne running fast breaks and getting the scores. Centre Niall McArdle fought strong for rebounds and put two baskets on the score board for the Abbey. Conleth Cull got several defensive rebounds and put another 2 points on the scoreboard for the Abbey. By the end of the third quarter St Michael’s had only managed to score 1 point from the free throw line while the Abbey sank 11 points.

With defence strong the Abbey settled back into a zone defence in the final quarter, with Niall McArdle and Tian yu Guo getting some superb rebounds and getting the outlet pass to Connor Campbell and Niall Byrne who continued to add scores to the board. After a tense quarter and excellent defence by the Abbey boys the match finished on a score of 42 – 27 to the Abbey. Abbey captain Niall Byrne was named MVP. Ulster schools basketball coordinator Adrian Fullerton congratulated both teams on what he said was a superb display of basketball.

The Abbey now move on to the All-Ireland playoffs. N. Byrne 11pts (Capt.), C. Campbell 12pts, T. Guo 8pts, N. McArdle 8pts, C. Cull 2pts, A. Burns, L. Gray, J. Davis, P. McConville, C. Doran, B. Campbell, R. McCorry, N. Brady, H. Liu, B. Sutherland. Coach Mrs P. McClean.

© Abbey Grammar School