ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers reach Christmas 10 and 0, Tipp Talons put it up to Limerick Celtics and Limerick Sport Huskies make it four on the bounce

A 93-76 victory away to Joels Dublin Lions on Saturday night saw ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers move to 10 and 0 at the top of the Men’s Division One North Conference, while South Conference leaders, Limerick Celtics very nearly saw their own unbeaten run ended as they barely managed to see off a tenacious Tipp Talons 97-95. In Women’s Division One, Limerick Sport Huskies made it four straight wins ahead of Christmas after they surmounted the challenge of iSecure Swords Thunder 73-59 in ALSAA.

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers followed hot on the heels of Limerick Celtics in pushing their perfect run in Men’s Division One into double figures after they recorded a 93-76 success over Joels Dublin Lions in Coláiste Bríde on Saturday night.

It was another big night for American, Eric Anderson who amassed his highest game total of the season so far for Portlaoise with 30 points, while James Phelan and Davin McEvoy tallied a further 35 to help address the severe headache that Aidan Igiehon posed for the North Conference leaders with his impressive return of 24 points and 19 rebounds.

“I’m delighted to get to Christmas 10 and 0 in the league and with two wins in the cup” smiled Jack Scully, Portlaoise head coach.

“Tonight’s game was far more competitive than the score suggests. Dublin Lions kept coming back and we struggled big time with Aidan Harris on the boards, but we got the job done. I thought Eric Anderson was phenomenal with 30 points” he added.

South Conference leaders, Limerick Celtics very nearly saw their own unbeaten run ended by a Tipp Talons team that fought their way back from 17 points down midway through the fourth quarter to draw level at 95 points apiece with 21 seconds remaining.

It was only two converted free throws by Abdul Wurie that rescued this game for Limerick, who have subsequently moved to 11 and 0 in the table.

Tipp, who have managed just two wins so far in this campaign, will draw huge encouragement from Sunday’s performance that featured a colossal 41 points by their own Joshua Reynolds and went some way to countering the combined 56 from Limerick’s Ariyon Williams and Finn Hughes.

At the other end of the Division One table, Carrick Cruisers chalked up their first win of the campaign after they saw off Mater Private Malahide 88-74 at home in the Phoenix Centre on Saturday night.

Four points to the good at the half-time break, the hosts consolidated their hold on this game in the fourth, during which they outscored their Dublin rivals by 10.

“It was a really important win for us” insisted Darren O’Neill, Carrick Cruisers head coach. “It vindicates all the work the club has put in to reach this level and it also gives the players confidence that they can compete at this level.

“Strangely, we have played better in other games and lost. Hopefully we can kick on and get our second win soon” he said.

Scotts Lakers Killarney fought back from 11 points down late in the second quarter to beat SETU Waterford Vikings 78-69 in Killarney Sports and Leisure.

Mikah Blackwell produced another big show for the hosts with a game-high 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Chris Healy put up a further 19 points to help see off a Waterford side for whom Aaron Jackson and James Aboaba tallied a solid 37, with Daniel Sheehan winning possession 11 times under the boards.

A big first-quarter display in which they outscored their opponents by 18 points helped propel Moy Tolka Rovers to a 113-99 triumph over Drogheda Wolves in Ballymakenny College.

Christian Simmons again delivered big for Drogheda with a huge 37 points and 15 rebounds, but even that, and the additional 22 points from Denzel Ebose, could not see them reel in Tolka, who benefitted hugely from the combined 76 points that Elijah Faapito, Emiliyan Grudov and Mike Wallace served up on the night.

Titans recorded a decisive third quarter display that saw them push a two-point lead out to 21 on their way to a 98-83 victory over Killarney Cougars in Presentation Gym on Saturday night.

A haul of 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists by Michael Hayes, together with the combined 32 points from Joseph Coughlan and Declan Gbinigie, went a long way to seeing the Galway side surmount a Killarney team whose challenge was very much fuelled by the 48-point total that Joshua Strongman and Kani Glover supplied.

Maigh Cuilinn bounced back from their 11-point defeat at the hands of Ulster University the week before by way of a 95-85 victory over Limerick Sport Eagles in UL Arena on Saturday night.

While Darragh Horkan and Alexander Carlisle bagged a combined 48 points and 13 rebounds, it was not enough to help stop their Galway opponents, who finished with five players in double figures, among them Grant Olsson on 21 and Paddy Lyons and Aitor Munoz on 16 apiece.

Curtis Larousse carded 17 points and 18 rebounds as Ulster University saw off Team NorthWest 76-56 in Jordanstown Sports Village on Friday night.

Nathan Karren also contributed significantly to, what was a third win on the bounce for Ulster, as he netted 21 points, just three shy of the game-high 24 that Shakeil Bertrand put up for the visitors.

 

Limerick Sport Huskies made it four successive wins in Women’s Division One after they emerged victorious 73-59 from their trip away to iSecure Swords Thunder on Saturday evening.

Both teams were deadlocked in second place heading into this game, but it was Limerick who edged ahead in the table as Delia Moore, Katie Black and Scout Frame all made a serious impact under the boards for the visitors to ALSAA, with each of them chalking up 11 rebounds, the latter also finishing the game’s top scorer on 26 points.

“The girls set the tone early in defence and we held them to just 26 points in the first half” said Trevor Moore, Limerick Sport Huskies head coach.

“I thought we executed excellently on offense for the majority of the game, with four of our ladies finishing on double digits. We’re in a nice position now as we start the second half of the league next weekend” he added.

Templeogue made a welcome return to winning ways after they produced a big second-quarter performance to surmount Dublin rivals, Oblate Dynamos 68-58 in the National Basketball Arena.

The homeside turned a three-point deficit at the end of the first quarter into a 16-point cushion by the half-time recess, Hannah Murphy playing a big part in that revival and, ultimately, much-needed win with her game-high 19 points and nine rebounds.

“We had a strong second quarter which gave us a lead that we were able to protect, and our free-throw shooting was key in getting us over the line” said Templeogue head coach, Mark Byrne.

“We’ve had a tough few weeks, losing our American back in October, but the players have been great, sticking with it, so I’m delighted for them that they finish up for Christmas with a win” he added.

McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles laid down an early marker in their Women’s Division One clash with Abbey Seals Dublin Lions in Virginia Show Centre on Saturday evening, outgunning their Clondalkin rivals by 14 points in the opening quarter to set the stage for a comprehensive 99-66 triumph.

The unbeaten leaders had six players in double digits, including Rahmena Henderson on 19 points and 12 rebounds that went some way to matching the 21 points and eight rebounds that Sofia Paska put up for Lions.

Limerick Celtics made it a run of three straight wins between league and cup competition as they returned home from Dublin celebrating a 68-58 success over Moy Tolka Rovers.

Stephanie McBride and Sabhbh Murphy inflicted the bulk of the damage for the visitors as they totalled 45 points and 23 rebounds between them, while Meagan Hoffman drained four of her five three-point attempts on her way to an impressive 24 points for Tolka.