Griffith College Éanna got the defence of their Men’s Super League title off to a winning start after they surmounted the challenge of 2022/23 champions, Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU 75-56 in the MTU Arena on Saturday evening, while defending Women’s Super League champions, Killester, did likewise, edging a tough SETU Waterford Wildcats 83-79 in the Oblate Hall.
Griffith College Éanna made a winning start to their Men’s Super League title defence as they mounted a late surge to see off 2022/23 champions, Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU 75-56 on Saturday evening in the MTU Arena.
While the Dublin side rocketed into an 18-point advantage by the close of the first quarter, Ballincollig managed to recoup 11 in the second, thanks in no small measure to Todd Wolfe, who finished with a game-high 22 points.
Yet a good spread of double-digit scoring from Neil Lynch (17), Stefan Desnica (15), Kristijan Andabaka (15) and Josh Wilson (11) helped Éanna steady the ship and outscore their opponents by 11 in the closing quarter to help secure some early spoils.
“It's great to get off to a winning start, but I was more impressed with the squad's attitude during the game” said Griffith College Éanna head coach, Darren McGovern. “They stuck to the plan and executed really well for most of the game” he added.
A huge second quarter, in which they outscored their opponents by 17, set Energywise Ireland Neptune on track for a hard-fought 96-87 win over Belfast Star in Newforge Sports Complex.
The hosts, under the leadership of new head coach, Rafi Olmassakian, led by 11 midway through the opening quarter, thanks in no small part to heavy scoring from Maurice Jones (25) and Conor Quinn (22).
Yet, with Ar’mond Davis and Darragh O’Sullivan totalling 48 points between them on the night, the Cork side battled their way back to ensure a winning return to the club for head coach, Pat Price who last led the team in 2015.
A strong finish that saw them take the fourth quarter by 11 points, proved essential in seeing Flexachem KCYMS record a 75-64 success on the road against UCD Marian.
Jeffery Okeke emerged the game’s top scorer on 25 points, while Nathaniel Powell, Beni Fungula and Jordan Blount amassed a total of 28 rebounds that helped undo the newly-promoted, Dublin side.
Zvonimir Cutuk drained a bucket 16 seconds from time to take his personal tally to 32 points and clinch a dramatic 79-77 triumph for Maree away to Templeogue in Nord Anglia on Saturday night.
A huge haul of 57 points for Tavias Fagan and Immanuel Allen went a long way to helping the hosts into a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but a combined 15 down the stretch by Cutuk and Joe Mvuezolo hauled Maree back for a thrilling victory.
Killester were the only team to break the century mark on the opening night of the Men’s Super League, beating Bright St. Vincent’s 104-89 in the Oblate Hall.
Kason Harrell and Isiah Dasher accounted for 49 points, while Baptiste Chazelas soaked up 15 rebounds in this Dublin derby, as Killester outgunned a St. Vincent’s team, for whom Samuel Henderson netted 25 points.
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors’ 93-80 comeback win away to UCC Demons in the Mardyke Arena on Sunday, wrapped up the opening weekend of the new Men’s Super League season.
The visitors found themselves 14 points adrift of their opponents at the end of the first quarter, but stormed back in the second to overtake into five-point lead by the break.
Solid scoring by Gregorio Adon (23), Marquavian Stephens (21), Brandon Mahan (18) and Daniel Jokubaitis (18) helped see them keep Demons at bay throughout the second half.
In the Women’s Super League, a huge 31 points and 13 rebounds for Samantha Haiby went a long way to seeing defending champions, Killester prevail 83-79 in a nail-biting opening-night headliner against SETU Waterford Wildcats in the Oblate Hall on Saturday.
In what was a repeat of last season’s Champion’s Trophy decider, the two sides were neck and neck throughout, with Ashia McCalla and Sarah Hickey combining for 47 points for the visitors.
Both Chelsea Cain and Hickey made their presence felt under the boards with a total of 21 rebounds for Wildcats, but even that was not enough to deny the Dublin side, who edged three of the four quarters, with Ieva Bagdanaviciene chalking up 18 points and eight rebounds.
“It’s as tough a start as you can have in this league” insisted Killester head coach, Mark Grennell. “Wildcats are really tough and play great basketball.
“I thought we were resilient in our play without being particularly fluid or in-sync. Sam Haiby was really excellent and controlled the big moments for us” he added.
FloMAX Liffey Celtics flexed their muscles from the second quarter on to record an emphatic 98-65 victory away to newly-promoted Utility Trust St. Paul’s on Saturday evening.
Sorcha Tiernan hit a game-high 25 points, while new signing, Alexis Tucker weighed in with 19, and captain, Áine O’Connor and Eboni Williams totalled 18 rebounds.
Catalyst Fr. Mathews had effectively bagged the points by the half-time break in their Super League opener against University of Galway Mystics on Saturday night, having carved out a massive 27-point lead on their way to a 96-57 victory in Fr. Mathews Arena.
Kyra White spearheaded their attack with 25 points, while Niamh Dwyer also made a significant contribution of 18, as last season’s Paudie O’Connor National Cup finalists stormed to a comfortable win.
Midland Park Portlaoise Panthers certainly turned heads with their performance against Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell, Keith Conroy’s side beating the defending Paudie O’Connor National Cup champions 90-71 in St. Mary’s Hall.
In what was the second of two WSL fixtures on Sunday, the hosts outscored their opponents by 17 in the second quarter to lay the ground work for a huge win that featured 13 buckets from beyond the arc, with six of those coming from Alyssa Velles on her way to game-high 28 points.
Amy Dooley was massive under the boards for Portlaoise, carding a phenomenal 19 rebounds, while another of the team’s new signings, Lynn Tunnah mopped up a further 10 and also hit 22 points.
The Address UCC Glanmire edged a thriller with Trinity Meteors 84-82, Miriam Loughrey holding her nerve from the line to drain two decisive free throws with just over a minute remaining.
Callie Cavanaugh, DelJanae Williams and Aine McKenna did the heavy hitting for Glanmire, accounting for 63 points between them that went a long way to countering the 20 apiece for Trinity’s Sarah Kenny and Emma Merriweather.
In Men’s National League Division One, ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers turned in a brilliant defensive display to beat Joels Dublin Lions 81-49 in St. Mary’s Hall. Maigh Cuilinn ignited their bid for an immediate return to the top tier of Irish men’s basketball with an 82-75 victory at home to Limerick Sport Eagles, while Ulster University, another team to suffer the drop last season, suffered an 88-78 reversal at the hands of Team NorthWest in their Division One opener in ATU Donegal. Moy Tolka Rovers carded a big 110-93 triumph at home against Drogheda Wolves, while Titans BC ran out 98-77 winners over Killarney Cougars in Ballinfoyle Castlegar Centre. There was no joy on opening night for National League debutants, Tipp Talons and Carrick Cruisers, the former losing out 98-70 on the road against Limerick Celtics, while Carrick Cruisers suffered a 93-84 defeat away to Mater Private Malahide. Meanwhile, the meeting of SETU Waterford Vikings and Scotts Lakers Killarney was abandoned due to a leaking roof.
In Women’s Division One, it was Limerick Sport Huskies who earned the bragging rights in their opening night derby against Limerick Celtics, winning out 83-73 in St. Munchin’s College, while McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles saw off a tough challenge from Cleveland Rockets 53-47 in Lisburn Racquets Club. The opening day of the season also served up two Dublin derbies with ISecure Swords Thunder enjoying a convincing 87-60 victory over Moy Tolka Rovers in ALSAA, while Abbey Seals Dublin Lions ran out 89-64 winners against Oblate Dynamos in Coláiste Bríde.
View the Men's Division One and Women's Division One rights-free release here.
Results
Men’s Super League
Saturday October 5th
Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU 56-75 Griffith College Éanna
Belfast Star 87-96 Energywise Ireland Neptune
UCD Marian 64-75 Flexachem KCYMS
Templeogue 77-79 Maree
Killester 104-89 Bright St. Vincent’s
Sunday October 6th
UCC Demons 80-93 Garvey’s Tralee Warriors
Women’s Super League
Saturday October 5th
Ultility Trust St. Paul’s 65-98 FloMAX Liffey Celtics
Killester 83-79 SETU Waterford Wildcats
Catalyst Fr. Mathews 96-57 University of Galway Mystics
Sunday October 6th
The Address UCC Glanmire 84-82 Trinity Meteors
Midland Park Portlaoise Panthers 90-71 Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell
Men’s Division One
Saturday October 5th
Team NorthWest 88-78 Ulster University
Limerick Celtics 98-70 Tipp Talons
Mater Private Malahide 93-84 Carrick Cruisers
Moy Tolka Rovers 110-93 Drogheda Wolves
ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers 81-49 Joels Dublin Lions
Titans BC 98-77 Killarney Cougars
Maigh Cuilinn 82-75 Limerick Sport Eagles
SETU Waterford Vikings vs Scotts Lakers Killarney (abandoned)
Women’s Division One
Saturday October 5th
Cleveland Rockets 47-53 McEvoy’s Cavan Eagles
Limerick Sport Huskies 83-73 Limerick Celtics
ISecure Swords Thunder 87-60 Moy Tolka Rovers
Abbey Seals Dublin Lions 89-64 Oblate Dynamos
Fixtures
Men’s Super League
Saturday October 12th
Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig@MTU vs Belfast Star, MTU Arena, 1600
Maree VS Killester, University of Galway Kingfisher, 1800
UCD Marian vs UCC Demons, Oatlands College, 1900
Bright St. Vincent’s vs Griffith College Éanna, St. Vincent’s CBS, 1900
Flexachem KCYMS vs EJ Sligo All-Stars, Killorglin Sports Complex, 1915
Garvey’s Tralee Warriors vs Templeogue, Tralee Sports Complex, 1930
Women’s Super League
Saturday October 12th
University of Galway Mystics vs Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell, University of Galway Kingfisher, 1400
Utility Trust St. Paul’s vs The Address UCC Glanmire, Aura, 1600
SETU Waterford Wildcats vs Catalyst Fr. Mathews, Mercy College, 1700
Trinity Meteors vs Killester, Coláiste Íosagáin, 1730
Midland Park Portlaoise Panthers vs FloMAX Liffey Celtics, St Mary’s Hall, 1900
Men’s Division One
Saturday October 12th
Ulster University vs ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers, Jordanstown Sports Village, 1615
Team NorthWest vs Drogheda Wolves, ATU Donegal, 1800
Limerick Sport Eagles vs Titans BC, UL Arena, 1900
Limerick Celtics vs Maigh Cuilinn, Crescent College, 1900
Carrick Cruisers vs Moy Tolka Rovers, Phoenix Centre, 1930
Joels Dublin Lions vs Mater Private Malahide, Coláiste Bríde, 1930
Killarney Cougars vs SETU Waterford Vikings, Presentation Gym, 1930
Scotts Lakers Killarney vs Tipp Talons, Killarney Sports & Leisure, 1930
Women’s Division One
Saturday October 12th
Limerick Celtics vs Cleveland Rockets, Crescent College, 1645
ISecure Swords Thunder vs Templeogue, ALSAA, 1730
Moy Tolka Rovers vs Abbey Seals Dublin Lions, Tolka Rovers, 1900
Oblate Dynamos vs Limerick Sport Huskies, Oblate Hall, 1930
