Domino's Men's and Women's Division One Weekend Wrap

Limerick Celtics managed to keep the momentum going as they beat Templeogue 72-65 to hand the Dubliners their first Domino's Women's Division One loss of the season and go joint-top with them at 3-1.

Despite a huge performance from Templeogue’s Sofia Paska, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds, a strong team performance from Celtics including 16 from Sidney Richards and a memorable game for 16-year old Madelyn Hartigan who had 10 points, eight rebounds and a block in 20 minutes of National League level play. Templeogue led for the entire first half, but a 21-point third quarter for Limerick and only an 8-point fourth quarter for Templeogue managed to sway the game to the home side. Both sides will look to further cement their intentions and go 4-1 next weekend as Celtics travel to Moy Tolka Rovers and Templeogue travel north to face Cleveland Rockets.

Cleveland Rockets handed University of Galway Mystics their second-straight loss as they went 2-1 with a 76-49 triumph in Lisburn. Cleveland’s offence was driven by the duo of Caitlin Gloeckner and Georgie McGrath. Gloeckner scored 25 points and McGrath scored 21 and added a massive 22 rebounds as the Rockets managed to get to a 29-point lead at one instance in the match. As for Mystics, the loss leaves them at 2-2 for the season as they travel to Limerick next to face the Huskies next Saturday.

Shelby Harmeyer scored 29 points as Limerick Sport Huskies defeated Moy Tolka Rovers 78-54 to even their season out at 2-2. For Tolka, the loss sees them fall to eighth place at 1-3. Tolka host Limerick Celtics next week looking to redeem their start to the season. Huskies did not let up during the entire game, leading by 32 at one stage and never surrendering the lead from start to finish. Huskies will be hoping to keep the form up when they travel to Mystics next weekend.

As for the two new sides, it was a positive weekend for both with Dublin Raiders defeating Swords Thunder 67-65 in a thriller and Clunetech Kilkenny Stars taking down Abbey Seals Dublin Lions 63-55. The win for Kilkenny puts them at 3-1 for the season at joint-top with Celtics and Templeogue and the win for the Raiders leaves them in sixth at 2-2 in the Domino’s Women’s Division One.

As for the Domino’s Men’s Division One, all teams enjoyed a double week of games between Friday and Monday which resulted in ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers on top with the only 5-0 record in the division.

Portlaoise started off the weekend with a 96-78 victory over Killarney Cougars on Saturday behind a 31 point and 17 rebound performance from Rich Ashu. Ashu kept up the flowing play in the Panthers second game of the weekend as they won 79-74 against SPK Utility Trust Lakers. Ashu scored 32 against the Lakers and added another 21 boards for good measure as the Panthers solidified their place at the top of the league.

For Killarney Cougars, their troubled start to the season continues as they followed up the defeat to Portlaoise with a 68-65 loss to Titans BC on Monday. Titans’ Umar Rachid scored 31 points and 14 rebounds with Rachid scoring the final basket of the game to ensure Titans rise to fifth place at a 3-2 record after they lost to Limerick Sport Eagles 99-89 on Saturday in double overtime.

In terms of the Eagles, a 70-point joint-performance from Ryan Leonard and Alex Carlise as they managed to take home the win over Titans BC to go 3-1 and then followed that up with a 72-59 win over Maigh Cuilinn as Ryan Leonard added another 26 points to a stellar individual weekend. The win put Eagles at 4-1 and in joint-second place with Drogheda Wolves.

Drogheda had a two-win weekend with a huge 107-56 win over Team Northwest behind a 31-point and 11 rebound game from Vernon Jackson. Jackson added 18 points to his weekend on Monday along with 17 from David Ademolu Oputa as they went 4-1 after they took home a 73-67 triumph over Moy Tolka Rovers. The loss was Tolka’s second of the weekend after they suffered a 77-53 defeat to Carrick Cruisers. The two losses mean Tolka slips to seventh after starting the weekend 3-0. As for Team Northwest, after their loss to Drogheda they followed that up with a 68-77 defeat to Ulster University which put Ulster in ninth spot with a 3-1 record at a game in hand with the rest of the league.

Elsewhere in Dublin, Dublin Lions defeated Malahide on Saturday 88-60 but went 1-1 for the weekend as they lost to Templeogue 113-108 in their other game of the weekend. Russell Marr and Liam Osinuga combined for 38 points as the Lions powered past Malahide in a game where Dublin Lions only strengthened as the game went on as they did not give up the lead throughout the entire second half. The high and low weekend leaves the Lions in fourth spot with a 3-2 record. The win for Templeogue in their only weekend game was their maiden win of the season as they go to 1-3 in 13^th place.

Malahide followed up a tough loss to the Lions with an 88-96 defeat to Carrick Cruisers on Sunday. For the Cruisers, 32 points and 10 rebounds for Andrew O’Connor got them over the line and their second victory of the weekend to place them in sixth with a 3-2 record. As for Malahide, they are now 0-5 for the season in 15^th and will be looking to finally get that elusive win next weekend as they face Ulster University.

In the final games of the weekend, Tipp Talons endured a difficult weekend as they suffered two defeats to fall to 1-3 in the Domino’s Men’s Division One. Talons lost 102-72 to SPK Utility Trust Lakers on Saturday and then fell to Maree 67-56 on Monday afternoon. With Maree, they broke even for the weekend as they started their weekend with a 77-65 win over Maigh Cuilinn. Maree finished the weekend at 3-2 in eighth place and Tipp Talons ended up in 14^th place.