League leaders Belfast Star survive scare from UCD Marian in Domino’s Men’s Super League

Belfast Star kept their advantage at the summit of the Domino’s Men’s Super League with an 84-80 victory over UCD Marian on Saturday. New signing Shane Dezonie led the way for Star with 24 points, after Irish international Rapolas Buivydas received an ejection from the game. Marian took their biggest lead of the game in at half-time with a 53-30 lead at the break. Bruce Saintilus and Tanner Graham combined for 59 points in the game. Marian also entered the fourth with a 17-point lead, however a 34-13 final quarter from the league leaders gave Star their 16^th victory of the season.

Star remain one win ahead of Ballincollig, after the Cork side won both of their games this weekend. For Marian, they are 9-11 and sit in sixth after the defeat, one win off of St. Vincent’s in fifth.

After defeating local rivals UCC Demons on Thursday, Ballincollig kept the momentum rolling with a 117-104 triumph over EJ Sligo All-Stars on Saturday. What will be a major cause of concern for Ballincollig will be the health of Latavious Mitchell, who picked up an injury in the opening moments in the second quarter and did not return. Latrell Jossell followed up his 34-point game on Thursday, with a 20-point game against Sligo. Josh Steel led the way with 25 points. For All-Stars, it was Jordan Hinds, who had a game-high 27 points, with Elijah Lawrence also scoring 23. A 39-point third quarter gave Ballincollig a 23-point lead heading into the fourth and despite a 37-point final period for Sligo, they ultimately fell to a 13^th defeat of the season. Ballincollig are now 15-5 for the season.

Limerick Celtics secured a vital 96-91 victory over playoff rivals UCC Demons after a huge second-half comeback. Demons went in at the half-time up by 11, with the score 53-42 at the break. Celtics came roaring back in the second-half led by a huge performance from AJ Williams, who had 21 of his 35 points between the third and fourth quarters of the game. Coming out of a timeout with three minutes left in the game, Demons led 88-84. A Finn Hughes three, followed by a fast break score from Ruairi Cronin gave Celtics their first lead since the opening quarter of the game at 89-88. A Tony Hauser eurostep and finish along with a Cronin corner three ensured Celtics kept the lead at 94-91 with just under a minute left. A pair of Williams free-throws cemented the win for Celtics.

Celtics are now alone in taking up the final playoff spot in the table, with a game in hand over Demons to be played during the international break next weekend where they will face Garvey's Tralee Warriors. Should Celtics win next weekend, it would all but confirm a playoff berth for Celtics in their first season playing in the Domino's Men's Super League.

Killester slipped further away from the top of the table, following a 72-58 home loss to Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. Killester carried a ten-point lead into the final quarter of play, but a 26-2 fourth quarter in favour of Warriors completely turned the game on its head and gave Warriors the victory. Robert Braswell was the leading scorer for Killester, scoring 27 points. But it was the Warriors trio of Irshaad Hunte, Jordan Perkins and Daniel Jokubaitis running the show, Hunte scoring 15, Perkins with 18 and Jokubaitis adding 16 in the win.

Killester fall to third with a record of 14-6, while Warriors are now 9-9 for the season, however, they do hold two games in hand on the rest of sides around them.

Energywise Ireland Neptune’s worries were heightened after suffering a 121-114 loss to St. Vincent’s. Michael Hayes hit free-throws midway through the second quarter to give Neptune a 46-44 lead, but a 13-point scoring run, capped off by a tough finish Adon Gregorio to end the quarter, gave Vincent’s a 59-51 lead into the half-time interval. Gregorio and Hayes combined for 53 points for Vincent’s, after both sides had two 30+ point quarters in the second half of the game.

Vincent’s are now up to fifth with an even 10-10 record, just one win off Éanna in fourth, however Éanna hold a game in hand over Vincent’s. Neptune remain bottom of the table with five wins, with just three games left to play.

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Flexachem KCYMS also missed an opportunity to move away from the relegation spot after losing 79-75 to Griffith College Éanna on Saturday evening. Killorglin held a ten-point advantage going into the final period of action, but a 20-6 final quarter for Éanna swung both the momentum and the result in their favour. Jordan Blount was just one rebound away from a triple-double performance, scoring 24 points and getting 10 assists for Killorglin. Jaylyn Richardson scored a game-high 28 points for Éanna, including hitting five threes on the way to getting Éanna their 11^th victory of the season.

Éanna maintain control on the final home court playoff spot, in fourth, one win ahead of UCD Marian and Vincent’s. For Killorglin, they keep a one-game cushion ahead of Neptune at the foot of the table, but will be watching over their shoulder for the next three games.