It's another huge weekend in the men's and women's Super League in basketball. Check out our preview of the weekend's fixtures below.
Women’s Super League
Fr Mathews vs IT Carlow Basketball (Saturday, Fr Mathews Arena, 5pm)
Fr Mathews return home to Cork this Saturday evening after a tough away loss to Wildcats last week. This weekend, they welcome IT Carlow Basketball who currently sit bottom of the table after two heavy defeats at the hands of Glanmire and Wildcats. Mathews lost last weekend by just three points in a difficult environment, with Wildcats dominating inside and international Stephanie O’Shea causing the Mathews defence a lot of trouble. This weekend will be a tough task for Carlow as they face off against the experience of two solid Americans in Shannon Brady and Chantell Alford, with Irish stars Niamh Dwyer and Amy Murphy ready to come in for key scores throughout. Carlow will need Kaitlyn Slagus to be at her best in order to keep in touching distance, but they will be confident going to Cork having taken a big win over Mathews at almost the same stage of the season last year.
Pyrobel Killester vs Marble City Hawks (Saturday, IWA Clontarf, 5pm)
Killester started off the season with a bang, winning out well against Singleton SuperValu Brunell in their opening game and they looked set to pull out a remarkable win against Liffey Celtics last Saturday evening as well, until they were undone by an incredible 4th quarter by the reigning champs, which saw Killester outscored 35-12 in the closing period. Despite the loss, there are clear signs this team is capable of competing with the top teams and they will be targeting this weekend’s game as an opportunity to get some points on the board. Depth is still be an issue for the hosts but they will be confident going into the clash. Marble City Hawks gave a good account of themselves last weekend against early favourites, DCU Mercy. Katie Fox scored well and Elaine Kennington also supported the work of Cassidy Williams inside. Battles between these two sides have always come down to the wire, with Fox often proving to be too hot to handle for Killester’s guards, and Hawks will be hoping they can edge it to get their first win of the season this weekend.
Maree vs Liffey Celtics (Saturday, Calasanctius College, 7.30pm)
The first of three marquee games this weekend sees newcomers Maree host defending league champions Liffey Celtics in Galway. Maree come into the game unbeaten so far in their maiden Super League season. Their wins to date have simply lengthened their incredible winning streak which is now intact since October 2018 in all league and Cup competitions. Maree dominated Brunell inside last weekend with Fiona Scally and American Carly McClendon combining for 44 points, while Claire Rockall was key to grabbing some big boards for the Galway outfit. This trio will be expected to carry the load again this weekend but they have the added advantage of home court advantage in Calasanctus which is always a difficult place to play. Liffey looked like their title defense was in jeopardy after just two games until an amazing 4th quarter display saw them nail a big 35 points to take the win over Killester. Sorcha Tiernan continues to grow into one of the country’s best players and her 26 points led the way for Liffey last weekend. This weekend the battle between Tiernan and Clare Rockall could have a big influence on whether Maree move to 3-0 or Liffey Celtics draw even with them at 2-1.
DCU Mercy vs Maxol WIT Wildcats (Sunday, DCU, 2.30pm)
DCU will host a game of the other two unbeaten teams in the league this weekend as Wildcats come to Dublin. DCU have started well with a demolition of Liffey Celtics in the opening round followed by a convincing win against Marble City Hawks last Sunday afternoon. Ashley Russell looks like a potential MVP candidate already as she is averaging 24 points per game and her combination with Meredith Burkhall looks ominous for the rest of the league. This weekend though they face a stern test in a Wildcats team who followed up an easy win against Carlow with a nail biting home win against Fr Mathews in Waterford. Stephanie O’Shea has started the season brilliantly while it was fantastic to see young Debbie Ogaeymi step up with 10 points last weekend. Mercy have incredible balance and depth so this weekend will provide a great barometer of just where Wildcats are this season – and the battle under the boards here will certainly be the one to watch.
Men’s Super League
Belfast Star vs Maree (Saturday, De La Salle, 6.30pm)
De La Salle will be a welcome sight for a Belfast Star team who have lost back to back games on the road. With the toughest opening schedule of any team this season, it was always going to be difficult for Belfast to get off to a great start. A big opening win vs Templeogue in overtime was exciting but tough losses against Tralee and Killester mean it’s time to rebuild momentum for Adrian Fulton’s men. Maree come in to the game off the back of an agonising overtime loss away to Killorglin and they will be looking to win for the first time since week one.
Coughlan C&S Neptune vs Abbeyseals Dublin Lions (Saturday, Neptune Stadium, 7pm)
One of only two unbeaten team’s, Neptune had an impressive home win against last year’s third place team, UCD Marian last Saturday evening in Cork. A dominating first half saw them lead by 17 at the half but it took some grit in the final 90 seconds to secure a 4 point win. Neptune have their third home game of the year this Saturday as they welcome Dublin Lions who are still looking for their first win of the year. Lions lost out last week to Templeogue but Coach Rob White will be happy with how competitive his side were against one of the league favourites. Lions’ first trip outside of Dublin will be a challenge, especially with Neptune’s big inside threat of Nil Sabata and player coach Lehmon Colbert.
Pyrobel Killester vs DBS Éanna (Saturday, IWA Clontarf, 7pm)
A loss to Moycullen raised some questions about a Killester team still operating without an American. Some of those questions were answered last week in the IWA as they beat Belfast Star in an excellent performance. Ciaran Roe had his biggest impact of the season and Killester will be hoping he can provide more of the same this weekend. DBS Éanna easily disposed of a Tralee team missing Paul Dick at home last weekend to remain unbeaten in their Super League campaign. Coach Darren McGovern would have been delighted with some of the amazing ball movement and shooting from his team and he will be hoping for similar this weekend. The IWA is a tough venue to play in, but has friendly shooting rings. Killester will be looking for a close pysical game and will offer a stern test of Eanna’s credentials in a big Dublin derby.
UCD Marian vs Moycullen (Saturday, UCD, 7pm)
UCD Marian head home to UCD for their first home game of the year. A win away to Tralee was exciting for the Dubliners but they fell away to Neptune in Week 3. A poor opening half saw the UCD Marian men trail by 17 at the break and while a strong second half got the game back all square, they ultimately fell just short. Moycullen also came up short last weekend as they lost at home to DCU. For the Tribesmen, they had an impressive road win against Killester but have lost both of their home games this year. This will likely be a low scoring game again and it may come down to which team can get one of their Americans up over 20 points.
Griffith College Templeogue vs Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin (Saturday, Nord Anglia International School, 7pm)
Templeogue announced their arrival in their new home venue last weekend with a win against Dublin Lions. It was Templeogue’s first win of the season, having lost out to Belfast Star in overtime in their other game to date. They face a Killorglin team who had a big home win against Maree last weekend in an overtime thriller. Templeogue may still be slight favourites for the title and a home win against Killorglin this weekend is critical. Allen Thomas scored well for Killorglin last weekend and it will be the job of Stephen James to limit him as much as possible. Templeogue have superior athleticism and depth but Killorglin can cause problems especially if they shoot well.
DCU Saints vs Garvey’s Tralee Warriors (Saturday, Phoenix Carrickmacross, 7.30pm)
DCU Saints head to Monaghan for the second straight year for one of their home games. They come into the game on the back of two wins against Moycullen and Dublin Lions. They will be hoping to continue that good form but will need to have a great performance in an unusual home setting. Tralee lost for the second time in three games last weekend, and although it’s not panic stations yet for Tralee a 3rd loss in four could put a dent in their title aspirations. Paul Dick missed last weekend’s loss to Éanna and he will return for this weekend’s clash. Dick and Donaghy have yet to combine this season and they provide the major spine for Tralee. Mike Bonaparte and Martins Provizors are a challenge for Tralee but they have the guards to cause headaches for DCU.
