Dublin Lions one step closer to top spot for the playoffs after win over Limerick Sport Huskies in the Domino’s Men’s Division One

Dublin Lions are one win away from a first-place finish with an 85-79 victory over Limerick Sport Eagles. Alex Carlisle scored 19 for Eagles, but a 29-point game from Aran Lee gave Lions the win. Eagles took a 60-58 lead thanks to a three from Carlisle in the final seconds of the third quarter. Despite the 21-7 third period for Eagles, Lee and Russell Marr combined for 15 points in the final quarter to fight back and win by six points.

Lions are now expecting to head into the playoffs at the top of the table. Should they finish top, there are three potential teams they could face in Tolka, Titans or Portlaoise Panthers. For Eagles, they are currently third, but could finish as high as second depending on results next weekend.

Drogheda Wolves managed to put a game advantage between them and Eagles after defeating SPK Utility Trust Lakers 83-72 on Saturday. Vernon Jackson and David Oputa combined for 52 points in the victory. Stephen Kelly kept his fine string of performances going with 21 points. Wolves and Lakers exchanged the lead on eight separate occasions but Wolves pushed on in the third quarter to take home a nine-point win.

Wolves have a chance to finish top of the table should Dublin Lions lose next weekend and Wolves secure a win over Carrick Cruisers. Lakers are now 14-7, level with Carrick and Maree as the battle for the final home court spot goes down to the final day.

Carrick Cruisers ensured the fight for fourth goes to the final day, winning 85-74 over Maree on Saturday. Braxton Benham scored 28 points for Cruisers with James Aboaba adding a 15-point, 14-rebound double-double performance. Isaiah Taylor scored 27 points for Maree as he continues to lead the league in scoring. It was one of the more tightly contested affairs of the weekend, with 12 lead changes in the game.

Cruisers are currently fifth, below Maree in fourth on a head to head advantage. Cruisers welcome Drogheda Wolves on the final day whereas Maree host SPK Utility Trust Lakers, who are also on 14 wins.

Moy Tolka Rovers edged closer to a playoff spot with a 100-84 win at Tipp Talons. Talons’ Aleksandar Kovacevic scored 31 points for Talons, but it proved to be ineffective as Derek Murphy and Sean McManus combined for 53 points for Tolka. After five ties and ten lead switches in the first and second quarters, Tolka opened the third period ahead at 52-50 and did not surrender the lead for the remainder of the game.

Tolka are in seventh, level with both Titans and Panthers below them on 12 wins. Tolka travel to Templeogue on the final day looking to secure a playoff berth. For Talons, they are 13^th, aiming to finish 12^th by potentially overtaking Templeogue next weekend.

Titans BC kept their playoff hopes alive with an 81-70 win over Templeogue to keep them in eighth. Umar Rachid and Fortune Igbokwe both had 20+ point double-doubles, with Igbokwe scoring 20 and grabbing ten boards and Rachid also having 10 boards whilst scoring a game-high 28. Titans controlled the play inside grabbing 44 rebounds to Templeogue’s 31, which proved one of the difference makers in the win.

A 13^th victory for Titans next weekend would see them guarantee a trip to the playoffs, depending on their final position, it appears they will travel to either Dublin Lions or Drogheda Wolves. For Templeogue, they are just looking to hold onto a 12^th-place finish.

ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers made sure the race for playoff spots goes to the final weekend, claiming a 101-90 triumph over Team Northwest. The Panthers trio of Amiri Stewart, Davin McEvoy and Xabier Arriaga had 79 of Panthers’ points in the game. Thomas DiRienzo continued his string of team-high scoring with a 35-point game for Northwest, his eighth 30+ point game this season.

Panthers are on the outside looking in at the playoff places, but should Titans or Tolka slip up, a win for Panthers against Maigh Cuilinn would send them to the playoffs. Northwest’s season has been a rough one, with just one game remaining to grab their first win of the season.

Maigh Cuilinn are aiming for a top-10 finish with an 85-73 victory over Malahide keeping them in tenth, ahead of Ulster University.  Grant Olsson scored 24 points, James Loughnane had 20 and Ivan Basic got 17 as the three men led Maigh Cuilinn to a comeback win after Malahide led from the end of the first quarter until midway through the final period.

Maigh Cuilinn are now 11-10 for the season, with the head to head advantage on Ulster University in the battle for tenth. Malahide occupy 14^th position, ahead of Killarney Cougars only on head to head.

Killarney Cougars suffered a 22-point defeat at the hands of Ulster University at 92-70 in the Presentation Gym. Prince Ebwea had 32 points for Ulster, currently in second for points scored across the league, only behind Maree’s Isaiah Taylor. Darragh Ferguson also had 26 in the victory, whilst Joshua Phillips had 22 leading the line for Cougars in the loss.

Cougars are 15^th with a record of 3-18, whilst Ulster University will be hoping to stir the pot at the summit of the table by shocking Dublin Lions next weekend, in a win that would potentially give them a top-10 finish.

The Domino’s Women’s Division One reached its conclusion this weekend, with Cleveland Rockets already having top spot secured heading into the playoffs. Rockets suffered a loss to end their regular season against Dublin Raiders 70-61. Mikayla Woods ended her season with Raiders with a 22-point, 11-rebound game with newest acquisition Giulia Anderlini adding 14 in just her third game for the club. Aoibheann Donnelly and Caitlin Gloeckner combined for 45 points in the loss for Rockets.

Rockets end the season with a record of 14-4, finishing top of the division. They will welcome University of Galway Mystics in the quarter-finals. Raiders overtook Dublin Lions to end the season in ninth.

Limerick Sport Huskies ensured a second-place finish with an 84-58 victory over Abbey Seals Dublin Lions on Saturday. Shelby Harmeyer celebrated her player of the month award by scoring a team-high 23 points. Clara Gomez controlled a lot of play with 19 points and 19 rebounds for Huskies. Makenzie Helms and Tara Nevin had 41 points between them out of Lions 58 points.

Huskies now take on Swords Thunder in the quarter-finals. Lions end their season at the foot of the table in the Domino’s Women’s Division One following their 14^th defeat of the season.

Limerick Celtics finished their season in third with a hard-fought 68-55 triumph over Clunetech Kilkenny Stars. Sidney Richards scored 23 points for Celtics along with 21 points and 11 rebounds from captain Sabhbh Edwards Murphy. Both sides stayed within touching distance of each other until Celtics. Kalyah Watson scored a team-high 14 points for the Stars.

Celtics sealed third spot with the win and set up a rematch between them and Stars in two weeks’ time in Limerick.

Moy Tolka Rovers will travel to Templeogue in two weeks after securing fifth place with a 62-54 win over Swords Thunder on Saturday. Dane Bertolina scored 28 points for Tolka, with Irish U18 international Naomi Farrington adding ten. Kayce Vaile continued her fine form with 15 points and 17 rebounds for the Thunder.

The defeat for Swords leaves them in seventh following Mystics defeat against Templeogue on Sunday. Tolka finish in fifth setting up the quarter-final with Templeogue.  

Templeogue ended their regular season in fourth spot after a xx-xx triumph over University of Galway Mystics on Sunday in Kingfisher. Sofia Paska was the standout player of the game with 25 points and 19 rebounds for Templeogue. Mystics were resilient in this game with Emma Glavin and Kara McCleane leading the way, combining for a total of 35 points for Mystics. Despite a tight affair throughout, Templeogue pulled away late in the fourth to secure the 16-point victory.

Templeogue now host Tolka in the quarters, whilst Mystics travel north to take on Cleveland Rockets in the quarter-finals of the Domino’s Women’s Division One.