BASKETBALL:THE FIGHT for second place in the Nivea For Men's SuperLeague Southern Conference is very much on this weekend, with Neptune favourites to edge ahead of their nearest rivals UCC Demons. Both teams are assured of a place in the play-offs but second spot would provide the incentive of home advantage in the quarter-finals.
Neptune have two games this weekend to hold that advantage, but Demons’ Head Coach Luke D’Alessio knows his side can only concentrate on the threat of Belfast Star.
“In defence we must contain Kevin Ratzsch and Scott Summersgill as they are Stars main scoring threat at present,” he said. “We will have to defend their three-point shooting and cannot let them get easy transition baskets.
“On offence we must continue to share the ball well and we need to fastbreak at every opportunity,” he added. “We will need to execute our half court sets and cannot afford to be careless with the ball and most importantly we will have to control our own boards.”
Neptune will meet UCD/Marian tomorrow before ending the regular season in front of their home fans a day later against Moycullen.
Elsewhere, Ulster Elks host Hoops tomorrow, while on Sunday, Southern Conference champions UL Eagles make the trip to the capital to face the Northern Conference champions Killester.
“Killester will want to win it and it will be a very big challenge for us to get a win in Dublin,” said UL Eagles head coach Tony Hehir. “I expect a really tough game and we want to use it as part of getting ready for the League semi-finals.”
Meanwhile, in the IrishSport.TV Women’s SuperLeague, Team Montenotte Hotel Cork can wrap up the regular season crown at home to UL, while DCU Mercy welcome Bausch and Lomb Wildcats.
Montenotte boast an incredible record of 12 wins out of 12 in the league but that will be tested against James Weldon’s UL before they face the National Cup champions DCU Mercy next weekend.
Tolka Rovers finish their season with a double header against Meteors and Sligo All Stars respectively and Killester, set for the play-offs, make the trip to Sligo.
FIXTURES: SATURDAY: MEN: Super League:Ulster Elks v Hoops, University of Ulster HPC, 7pm; Neptune v UCD/Marian, Neptune Stadium, 8pm. Division One:Waterford v Titans, Waterford IT Sports Hall, 7.30; Team Loftus Ballina v Team Garveys St Marys, Ballina Sports and Leisure Complex, 7:30; Team Meadowlands St Brendans v Maree, Mercy Mounthawk Gym, 7.45. WOMEN:Super League: Team Montenotte Hotel Cork v UL Basketball Club, Neptune Stadium, 6pm; Tolka Rovers v Meteors, Tolka Rovers Sports Complex, 6pm; Sligo All-Stars v Killester, Sligo Sports Complex, 6pm. Division One:Team Kilkenny v Brunell, OLoughlin Gaels Gym, Kilkenny, 7.30. SUNDAY: MEN: Super League: Belfast Star v UCC Demons, Queen's University, 3.30; Neptune v Moycullen, Neptune Stadium, 3.30; Killester v UL Eagles, IWA Clontarf, 7pm. Division One: CHM Ballon v Titans, Palmerstown Sports Complex, 5pm. WOMEN:Super League: Tolka Rovers v Sligo All-Stars, Tolka Rovers Sports Complex, 1.30; DCU Mercy v Bausch and Lomb Waterford Wildcats, DCU Sports Complex, 3.30. Division One: Liffey Celtics v Oblate Dynamos, Leixlip Amenity Centre, 4pm; Team Kilkenny v UL Basketball Club, OLoughlin Gaels Gym, Kilkenny, noon.
