Killester, FloMAX Liffey Celtics and SETU Waterford Wildcats remain tied at the top while Garvey’s Tralee Warriors suffer first loss

FloMAX Liffey Celtics, SETU Waterford Wildcats and defending champions, Killester remain deadlocked at the top of the Women’s Super League table after all three teams carded wins on Saturday night, while Men’s Super League leaders, Garvey’s Tralee Warriors suffered their first reversal of the 2024/25 season after they went down 98-90 against EJ Sligo All-Stars in Mercy College.

SETU Waterford Wildcats came through a huge test at home against Trinity Meteors, running out 91-86 winners in Mercy College, to keep pace with Killester and FloMAX Liffey Celtics at the top of the Women’s Super League table.

Deadlocked with just under three minutes remaining, this battle saw Waterford demonstrate great resolve down the stretch as Sarah Hickey, Ashia McCalla and Chelsea Cain served up late buckets to help see their side over the line.

All three players, along with Kate Hickey, exceeded 20 points, with Sarah Hickey and Cain soaking up a total of 25 rebounds, as Wildcats survived in the face of tenacious Trinity who were fuelled largely by the combined 57 points that Morgan Lenahan, Grace Prenter and Emma Merriweather totalled in this fixture.

“We’re delighted to get the win on home soil” said Wildcats head coach, Jillian Hayes. “It was a really tough game of basketball that came down to the wire.

“I wasn't happy with our defensive performance tonight. We’re better than that, but we had a couple of players really step up in the last few minutes to get it over the line for us, with four players all having over 20 points. We’ll take it and hopefully improve defensively for next week” she added.

FloMAX Liffey Celtics may not have been at their best offensively, but they still did enough to record a 67-49 victory over Women’s Super League rivals, Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell in Leixlip on Saturday night.

Alexis Tucker and Eboni Williams managed 28 points between, but it was defence that really won this game for the Kildare side, Rachel Huijsdens, along with the aforementioned American pair, delivering a big display under the boards, despite Deaja Richardson top-scoring on 25 for the visitors.

Defending champions, Killester confined Midlands Park Portlaoise Panthers to a mere 18 points over the middle two quarters to exert a tight grip on their clash, running out 76-55 victors in St. Mary’s Hall on Saturday night.

Just a solitary point separated the two sides at the close of the first quarter, but by the start of the fourth, that gap had swollen to 29, the Dublin side finishing with four players in double figures, including top scorer, Ieva Bagdanaviciene on 23.

The Address UCC Glanmire lead the chasing pack after they recorded a 76-56 road win over Catalyst Fr. Mathews.

Callie Cavanaugh emerged the game’s top scorer on 26, with Aine McKenna and Annaliese Murphy tagging on a further 33 as Glanmire carded their third win of the campaign.

University of Galway Mystics were left rooted to the foot of the table after they suffered an 85-65 reversal at the hands of Utility Trust St. Paul’s in Sunday’s clash in University of Galway Kingfisher.

Megan Ormiston and Gracen Kerr, together, delivered a 51-point haul for the visitors, the two also combining with Mathilde Diop to soak up 34 rebounds on the day.

The first round of fixtures in another double-game weekend in the Men’s Super League served up a shock result as EJ Sligo All-Stars inflicted, on Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, their first loss of the season, Shane O’Meara’s men running out 98-90 winners in Mercy College on Saturday night.

Sligo All-Stars took down previously undefeated Tralee yesterday 😳

Sligo All-Stars 98-90 Garvey's Tralee Warriors#BISL | #BITV pic.twitter.com/Slh764DqaO

— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) November 17, 2024

Despite Brandon Mahan hitting a game-high 27 points for the current leaders, who were shorn the services of American point guard, Marquavian Stephens, the hosts held out, with five players in double figures, including Jonathan Brown and Jevonnie Scott on a total of 44.

“We were delighted to get over the line against Tralee” smiled Shane O’Meara, EJ Sligo head coach. “They came ready to play despite missing Stephens, but we had a great spread of scoring with selfless play, along with a very frugal defence.

“We've had a few losses that we felt we left behind this year and hopefully tonight is the kick-start to a better run of form for us” he added.

O’Meara’s men did, indeed, follow up that major scalp with a 90-86 road win against UCD Marian on Sunday afternoon.

Lovre Tvrdic put up a game-high 35 points for UCD, but it was not enough to swing the tie the way of the Dublin outfit, as Jevonnie Scott, again, delivered another big performance for Sligo with 30 points and nine rebounds, while John Carroll and Robert Montgomery chipped in with a further 40, together with 17 wins under the boards.

For the third game in succession, Griffith College Éanna were taken to overtime and prevailed, two of those wins coming against Belfast Star, whom they edged out 103-100 in Newforge Sports Complex on Saturday night.

Eánna come out on top in overtime again! 😮‍💨

Belfast Star 100-103 Griffith College Éanna#BISL | #BITV pic.twitter.com/Ux7Jz3khsE

— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) November 16, 2024

The defending champions saw the 13-point advantage they enjoyed early in the fourth quarter wiped out, as Belfast drew level at 91-91 only to be pipped in overtime, during which Kristijan Andabaka hit six points.

Belfast did bounce back from that agonising defeat with an 86-65 victory over Templeogue in De la Salle College the following day, five players ending the tie in double digits for the hosts, including Maurice Jones and Maximillian Cooper who each served up 16.

UCC Demons followed up on Saturday’s 102-86 success against the struggling Templeogue in the National Basketball Arena with a 96-82 triumph at home to Maree in Mardyke Arena on Sunday.

Elijah Tillman delivered big again for the Cork side with a huge 37 points and 12 rebounds, while Tobias Christensen’s intensity under the boards also featured heavily in this encounter as he registered 16 rebounds and seven assists against a Maree team, for whom Jarett Haines put up 27 points.

Having ended a run of four straight defeats in the top tier with a 103-72 success against Bright St. Vincent’s in Killorglin Sports Complex on Saturday night, Flexachem KCYMS followed that up with a 77-74 success away to Energywise Ireland Neptune on Sunday.

Finding themselves 11 points down late in the third quarter, the visitors recovered strongly to make it back-to-back wins, Beni Fungula and Clayton Ladine serving up a combined 41 points, while Jordan Blount claimed 12 defensive boards on his way to a total of 14 rebounds against a Neptune side that had also lost out to Killester 98-67 at home the previous night.

It was a productive double-game weekend for Killester as they put both Energywise Ireland Neptune and Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU to the sword to keep themselves in among the top four teams.

 

In Men’s Division One, Tipp Talons finally got off the mark following their emphatic 100-64 victory over Killarney Cougars in Scoil Ruain on Saturday night. ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers edged a 96-93 win away to Drogheda Wolves in Ballymakenny College to remain top of the North Conference, while South Conference leaders, Limerick Celtics stormed to a 94-52 victory over Titans BC in Crescent College on Sunday.

Moy Tolka Rovers emerged 112-87 winners over Joels Dublin Lions in Coláiste Bríde, while Scotts Lakers Killarney carded an 84-77 triumph at home to Maigh Cuilinn. Limerick Sport Eagles returned home from Carrickpherish Hall celebrating a 92-81 win over SETU Waterford Vikings, while Mater Private Malahide saw off Ulster University 84-73 and Team NorthWest battled back from 13 points down to beat Carrick Cruisers 76-69 in ATU Donegal.

 

Moy Tolka Rovers picked up their second win in Women’s Division One as they saw off Templeogue 81-74 at home on Saturday night. iSecure Swords Thunder returned to winning ways in the league as they chalked up a 72-64 success over Limerick Celtics in ALSAA, while Cleveland Rockets prevailed 75-68 at home to Limerick Sport Huskies in Lisburn.