BASKETBALL: Family ties won out at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght yesterday. The Jerome Westbrooks-coached St Fintan's, Sutton, added the All-Ireland League under-19 title to their recent cup success after inspiring displays from his sons, Isaac and Aaron.
Westbrooks senior (47) plays in the Superleague for Killester with 18-year-old Isaac and he promises to hang on for one more season so he can line out with Aaron. Yesterday was about beating the best Munster had to offer. In Cork's North Monastery they had worthy opponents.
After leading from the second quarter North Mon were caught with 11.5 seconds remaining. The game's Most Valuable Player (MVP), Isaac Westbrooks, had been racking up the points - he finished with 31 - but his younger sibling also engineered the final comeback by overturning two North Mon attacks with timely interceptions.
With five seconds left Niall Murphy looked to have secured the victory for the Cork youths by converting one of two shots from the free-throw line. However, it was then the drama and tension went completely off the chart.
St Fintan's had possession, out of play, and there was time for one last roll of the dice. They desperately wanted to get the ball to Isaac Westbrooks. They got their wish when an over-zealous, off-the-ball challenge by Anthony O'Callaghan left the junior international sprawled on the court. The result was a free throw. Westbrooks hit the target to take the game into overtime.
The extra five minutes were anti-climactic as the Dublin side stepped up a gear winning on a 61-53 score-line.
In the first half St Fintan's went into a 9-2 lead but Carleton Cuff and Murphy hauled them back to leave North Mon leading at the break 28-22. In this period the defending was airtight yet by the time Michael Chubb shot the final points of the day two very talented brothers had ripped the rearguard to shreds.
Earlier in the day, Chubb was the main catalyst behind the St Fintan's under-16 All-Ireland victory, his 24-point contribution ensured victory against St Joseph's of Galway. Cian Nihill's 29 points kept it interesting right down to the final seconds. It finished 46-43.
Meanwhile, in the under-19 B final Mercy Mounthawk were too good for Malahide CS, running out 53-28 winners. John Dowling picked up the MVP award after shooting six points along with 24 rebounds in a fine defensive performance. Ronan Hartnett ran him close with a 31-point haul.
RESULTS: Under-19 A final: St Fintan's 61 (I Westbrooks 31, A Westbrooks 14, C Bernard 9) North Monastery 53 (N Murphy 20, C Cuff 15, A O'Callaghan 7). Under-19 B final: Mercy Mounthawk 53 (R Hartnett 21, S Hanafin 15, J Dowling 6) Malahide CS 28 (C O'Donoghue 10, J Flores 7, R Delaney 6). Under-16 A final: St Fintan's 46 (M Chubb 24, D O'Rourke 7, I Whittington 7) St Joseph's 43 (C Nihill 29, D Keane 6, S Kenny 4).
