BASKETBALL / Weekend previews: The game of the weekend takes place tomorrow at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, when the two struggling outfits from the Southern Conference look to salvage their season with a National Cup run.
Both Star of the Sea and Shamrock Rovers Hoops were beaten in the first round but the back-door system presents another opportunity to meet Killester in the quarter-finals.
Rovers have one victory from six attempts this season but recent form, helped by the arrival of Will Clerkin, combined with the scoring prowess of Ruben Statum (41-point average), should be enough to see off Star and Patrick O'Malley.
Star's disastrous season looks set to continue on Sunday when they travel to the Mardyke Arena where the unbeaten UCC Demons will be waiting as week seven of the Superleague continues.
Killester have drafted in a new Serbian player this week, guard Milos Gagovic, to replace Vladimir Rodanovac who returned home after ongoing injury problems. It seems this player market will continue to be tapped into by head coach Saisa Punosevac.
Killester held form to beat UCD Marian last week despite having just one import on court. Tomorrow's task against Tralee will be a more stern test, especially considering the Tigers arrive in Dublin with badly damaged egos having lost to the Demons and Limerick last weekend. The sooner Micheal Quirke puts football on the back burner the better for Tralee.
Also tomorrow, UCD Marian seek to end a three-game losing streak against the Killarney Lakers. Considering the Lakers' position at the bottom of the, albeit more competitive, Southern Conference, the students seem ideally placed to put their season back on track.
There was positive news for UCD this week as Irish international Lorcan Precious was named Northern Conference player of the month for October, having clearly carried his autumn international form into the domestic campaign. Precious shot 108 points in four games, including 42 points against Rovers - an individual score normally attributed to a foreigner.
Limerick's American Jon Stevens picked up the Southern Conference equivalent thanks to a 35-point average per game, while his coach, Tommy Hehir, was also recognised after the club beat UCC Demons in the cup.
Hehir's team host Neptune on Sunday with the Corkmen first having to play Ballina tomorrow night at home.
Saturday - Men's National Cup - Star of the Sea v Shamrock Rovers Hoops, UUJ, 7.15. Men's Superleague - UCD v Killarney Lakers, Belfield, 7.10 Killester v Tralee Tigers, Greendale, 8.0; Neptune v Ballina, Neptune Stadium, 8.0; Sunday - UCC Demons v Star of the Sea, Mardyke Arena, 3.15; Limerick v Neptune, UL, 3.15
Woman's Superleague - Coolock v Meteors, Mount Temple, 6.30; Glanmire v Wildcats, Little Island, 7.30; St Paul's v UL/Aughinish, Presentation, 7.30; Drimnagh Dynamos v Killester, Oblate Hall, Inchicore, 3.30.
