Women's Super League: SETU Waterford Wildcats edge out Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers

Women's Super League leaders SETU Waterford Wildcats had to delve to the last of their reserves to dig out a thrilling 70-66 victory over a tenacious Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers in Mercy College on Saturday evening.

This titanic battle saw both sides deadlocked on six occasions throughout the final quarter, Wildcats edging the victory after Ashia McCalla converted two from the free-throw line and another from the floor over the closing minute and a half.

Sarah Hickey and Chelsea Cain, with their combined 30 points and 27 rebounds, were also crucial to this success for Waterford against a Portlaoise side for whom Lynn Tunnah and Amy Dooley racked up 19 apiece, the latter also mopping up 14 rebounds.

FloMAX Liffey Celtics remain hot on the heels of Wildcats after they bounced back from last week’s narrow overtime defeat at the hands of Killester to record a 70-61 victory on the road against The Address UCC Glanmire on Sunday evening.

Alexandra Navarette, in only her second game back for the Leixlip side, served up a game-high 23 points, with captain, Áine O’Connor and Sorcha Tiernan putting up a further 32 between them, the latter also finishing with 11 assists.

An extremely tight first half saw just a solitary point separate the sides at the interval, but Celtics quickly overturned that narrow deficit in the third and remained just out of reach of their hosts, despite the best efforts of Callie Cavanaugh and DelJanae Williams, who totalled 39 points and 16 rebounds for Glanmire.

Samantha Haiby served up 28 points, 15 rebounds and six assists to help see defending Women’s Super League champions, Killester stave off a dogged Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell outfit for an 86-78 road win on Saturday.

Hannah Thornton weighed