O’Sullivan praises Coláiste Éanna team display in All-Ireland title win
Coláiste Eanna captain Shanay Shah celebrates with the cup with his teammates after the Basketball Ireland U19A Boys Schools League Final match between Coláiste Eanna, Dublin and St. Joseph's, Galway at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

O’Sullivan praises Coláiste Éanna team display in All-Ireland title win

COLÁISTE ÉANNA Head Coach, Gavin O’Sullivan has praised the complete team performance his side produced to see off St Joseph’s 56-42 and lift the All-Ireland Schools Under 19A Boys Basketball League title in the National Basketball Arena yesterday.

While both sides were deadlocked at 10 points apiece by the close of the first quarter, Éanna took off in the second, outscoring their opponents 20-4 in that period to take a firm grip on the tie.

A lay-up by Nathan Comerford in the closing seconds of the third quarter helped see them push that advantage out to 20 points – a gap that proved too much for St Joseph’s to close.

While Shanay Shah scooped the MVP award after amassing a haul of 20 points and Comerford and Viktor Lovic combined for a further 27, Éanna coach, O’Sullivan was quick to salute the efforts of his entire squad.

“The team performed superbly. We won by 14, but it was a very comfortable victory.

“The MVP was Shanay Shah, but it was a whole team performance. We shut down their best player – an Under 19 international Joe Coughlan – and we played a better team game.

Nathan Comerford of Coláiste Eanna in action against Dean Coughlan of St Joseph’s during the Basketball Ireland U19A Boys Schools League Final match between Coláiste Eanna, Dublin and St. Joseph’s, Galway at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

“It was all really just down to hard work. The players have been training five days a week before school and three days a week after school and it’s just all paid off now.

“The team is really young. There’s only one guy missing for next year.

“We’ve won an Under 19A title and we don’t have a single Under 19 player. Our oldest is Under 18 and we’ve only got one sixth-year starter and four on the panel” he pointed out.

Coláiste Eanna players celebrate with the cup after the Basketball Ireland U19A Boys Schools League Final match between Coláiste Eanna, Dublin and St. Joseph’s, Galway at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

O’Sullivan, who coaches the side along with Aoife O’Reilly and Niamh Conroy, was also appreciative of the strong support they received, adding “It was a great occasion in the Arena. We had a brilliant crowd of about 500 supporters, so it was great.”

The victory completed a superb campaign for the team which started off the season with a couple of key players injured, but still managed to finish third in Dublin.

That propelled them into the Last 16 of the All-Ireland where they dramatically beat St Paul’s, Oughterard by way of a three-point buzzer-beater by Comerford.

In the quarter finals they saw off the challenge of St Pat’s of Cavan before overcoming local rivals Templeogue College in the semi finals.

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