Fr Mathew's complete the league and national cup NICC double with victory over Claregalway in final 

Fr Mathew's 74

Claregalway 45

Fr  Mathew's are the 2025/26 BIDL Women’s champions, defeating Claregalway 74-45 in the play-off final at the National Basketball Arena on Sunday to complete the double having won the national cup title back in January.

Amy Corkery scored 28 points as she was awarded the MVP in the final.

For the game's MVP Amy Corkery it was a dream day.  

She hit 28 points as well as stealing the ball six times to score some easy layups as she led her team to this deserved victory.

"It was a dream final for me. It was a great win," Amy Corkery said.  

"We came up here for the cup final a few weeks ago and we started poorly, but today we were determined to get a good start and that is what we did.

"I hit 28 points and had plenty of steals, six in the end, so I am thrilled with my own performance, but all the team did great really.

"I always get a bit of slagging from the girls for standing out on the three point line, so I had to pull through today and get a few steals today and show I can get the ball as well on defence and then convert those steals into easy points.

Fr Mathew's have now completed the double at NICC level and this is a great boost for the club.  With the SuperLeague team relegated this season, this win will help lift everyone ahead of the new season which will see them play in the first division.

"We won the NICC National Cup as well, so this is huge for us and the club.  

"Even in our own league we were winning most of the games, so it was nice to come up here and show that our hard work put in all season paid off.

"Claregaway lead at the end of the opening quarter, but no panic, we pushed on in the second.  

"The experience on our team showed and even the younger players off the bench did a great job.  

"We showed huge determination.  We pressed them the whole game and they were not able to beat us, so this is great."

Claregalway led 16-14 at the end of the first quarter. 

Georgina Ni Hasa Martin had nine, while Cara Cormican had grabbed five points, including the final score of the quarter in the closing seconds for Claregalway.

Fr Mathew's started the second quarter with an eight point run, snapped by Ailish O’Reilly’s basket, but that would prove to be Claregalway's only score of the quarter. 

A Mila Pichet layup and two Amy Corkery free throws in the final minutes had Fr Mathew's in a commanding 34-18 at half-time.

Corkery with 10 points by the break.

Fr Mathew's extended their lead in the third quarter.

Corkery and Heather Lynch doing much of the damage with with six and five respectively. 

Allanna Braham’s two free throws at the finish made it 52-29 to the Cork club.

Claregalway had a four-point run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Mary Cunniffe’s jump shot saw them trail 52-33. 

Fr Mathew's, as expected, responded and went on an 11 point run, finished off by Corkery’s fifth three point jump shot of the contest - to bring her tally to 22 - and a free throw by Gemma Walshe, to make it 63-33 with six and a half minutes to go.

Claregalway struggled from the three point line all game, but finally landed one through Ailish O’Reilly to trail 63-39 with four and a half minutes to go. 

Corkery slotted another three to make it a 30-point game bring it up to 70-40 and it would finish 74-45.

Fr Mathews: Natasha Bowdren (0), Niamh Braham (4), Alannah Brahm (5), Mila Pichet (4), Gina Carey (0), Abby Murphy (11), Amy Corkery (28), Heather Lynch (11), Amanda O’Regan (4), Lynn O’Dwyer (2), Niamh Dwyer (4), Grainne Walshe (3).

Head Coach: Ger Gibbons.

Claregalway: Orla Hynes (2), Georgina Ní Hasa Martin (12), Ailish O’Reilly (7), Mary Cunniffe (6), Lauren Concannon (2), Laura Hoffman (3), Cara Cormican (7), Deirdre Brennan (0), Helen Moran (4), Michelle Canavan (2), Elisha Cosgrove (0), Hannah Coen (0).