Portlaoise Panthers play their first ever game of top flight basketball when they host Maxol WIT Wildcats in the Basketball Ireland Women’s Premier League on Saturday. Peter O’Sullivan’s side is the first team ever to gain automatic promotion from Women’s Division One.
“It’s not a position we thought we’d find ourselves in at this early stage in the club’s infancy,” said the Head Coach. “This year is going to be a tough because of players we’ve lost from last year and players we’re waiting on to come back from injury.” The squad were however boosted in the off-season by the arrival of American duo Nicole Arnone and Tiffany Turner.
In the Men’s Premier League, UCD Marian are hopeful of having former Swords Thunder guard Alexandar Zurn available for their trip to SSE Airtricity Moycullen. Zurn spent last season in the Division One of the English Basketball League with Reading Rockets.
Marian were 14 points down with seven minutes on the clock before beating Belfast Star last week. “It was a great way to start the season especially with the problems we’ve had in the last week,” said Head Coach Ioannis Liapakis. New signing Lamont Middleton Jr. left the club prior to Round One.
Saturday October 10th
Men’s Premier League
GCD Swords Thunder v UL Eagles, ALSAA, Dublin, 18:00
SSE Airtricity Moycullen v UCD Marian, NUIG Kingfisher, Galway, 19:00
DCU Saints v Templeogue BC, DCU Sports Complex, Dublin, 19:00
Belfast Star v Eanna BC, Methodist College, Belfast, 19:00
Pyrobel Killester v C&S UCC Demons, IWA Clontarf, Dublin, 19:30
Women’s Premier League
Meteors v Team Montenotte Hotel, Colaiste Iosagain, Dublin, 16:00
UL Huskies v Courtyard Liffey Celtics, UL Sport Arena, Limerick, 19:00
Portlaoise Panthers v Maxol WIT Wildcats, St. Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise, 19:00
Men’s Division One
ITC Basketball v JM&L Auctioneers Titans, Barrow Centre, IT Carlow, 15:30
Team Kilkenny v Kestrels, Watershed Sports Complex, Kilkenny, 19:00
BFG Neptune v Maree BC, Neptune Stadium, Cork 19:00
Fr Mathews v Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin, Colaiste Chriost Ri, Cork, 19:15
KUBS v C&S Blue Demons, Carroll Arena, Greendale, 20:00
Women’s Division One
ITC Basketball v NUIG Mystics, IT Carlow, 13:00
Ulster Rockets v Team Garvey’s Tralee, Methodist College, Belfast, 17:00
Team Denjoes American Style v Oblate Dynamos, St. Marys Community Centre, Castleisland 19:30
Sunday October 11th
Women’s Premier League
Singleton’s SuperValu Brunell v Pyrobel Killester, Parochial Hall, Cork, 14:45
Women’s Division One
Marble City Hawks v Fr Mathews, O’Loughlin Gael’s Kilkenny, 16:00
