It will be the clash of the titans in Tralee Sports Complex this weekend as Garvey’s Tralee Warriors prepare for an epic showdown with league leaders, Templeogue, in a hugely-anticipated top of the table clash.
With everything at stake for both sides, there’s going to be no easy victory, and Warriors star, Kieran Donaghy admits it will come down to small margins on the day.
“We’ve a juggernaut coming down here on Saturday night,” Donaghy stated. “This is a team with four or five internationals, with one of the best Americans in the country, and they’re top of the league for a reason. We need the crowd from the first minute to the last next Saturday night. Bring drums, foghorns, whatever you can – it’s about inches on Saturday night. A win here would move us closer to winning the Super League, which, when we put this team together three years ago, we would have only dreamed of doing.”
The sides have met twice already this season, both of these clashes on Templeogue’s home turf of Oblate Hall in Inchicore, and both of these clashes seeing Tralee come out on top – including a massive Cup win that knocked the then reigning Cup champions out of contention for this year’s Cup competition. Thus, with Templeogue still smarting after losing at the hands of the Kerry men twice, there’s no doubt that this weekend’s showdown in the Kingdom will be anything but a battle royale.
“We’ll prepare and do our job,” Templeogue’s Puff Summers stated ahead of the game. “We’ve seen them a lot this year. Both teams are fairly familiar with each other. They’ve a new American so we’ll have to contain him. They’re tough. They’re Championship worthy, but we’re Championship worthy too. At this stage in the season, this is what it’s all about.”
Elsewhere, reigning league champions, UCD Marian, are also still in prime position to do a back-to-back title win, and regardless of what happens in Kerry, have a must-win clash against C and S Neptune to look forward to on Saturday. Neptune will come into the game just as hungry though, as they need a big win in Dublin in order to try to climb their way out of the relegation zone. Carrickmacross in Co. Monaghan meanwhile is preparing for a taste of Super League basketball as DCU Saints have moved their home fixture to the Monaghan town where they will welcome UCC Demons in a battle for sixth place. Elsewhere, Belfast Star hosts Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin while Pyrobel Killester face off against Maree on Sunday evening.
Over in the Women’s Super League meanwhile, the battles for top six positions are overheating, with DCU Mercy, Ambassador UCC Glanmire, Fr Mathews, Singleton SuperValu Brunell, Maxol WIT Wildcats and Pyrobel Killester all fighting for just five remaining spots. There are two crucial clashes in this battle this weekend, with DCU Mercy on the road to Glanmire, while Wildcats will host Fr Mathews in what is set to be one of the games of the weekend.
Elsewhere, Courtyard Liffey Celtics will officially be crowned Women’s Super League champions on Saturday night in their last home game against IT Carlow Basketball, Pyrobel Killester and Marble City Hawks will be foes on the court on Saturday meanwhile, but will join forces afterwards in a big celebration at the IWA in Clontarf to mark International Women’s Day. The final match up of the weekend sees Singleton SuperValu Brunell face off against Galway’s NUIG Mystics.
The Men’s Division One is also heading into to the closing stages, with one of the picks of the weekend being the top of the conferences clash between DBS Éanna and Tradehouse Central Ballincollig in Dublin on Saturday night, while the Women’s Division One sides may be finished their regular season, but have a big WNLC blitz to look forward to at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght this coming Saturday, in a big celebration of women’s basketball.
Basketball Ireland Fixtures: March 8-10th
Friday 8th March 2019
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One:
LIT v Bad Bobs Tolka Rovers, St Marys Sports Hall, 20:00
Saturday 9th March 2019
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League:
Belfast Star v Keanes Supervalu Killorglin, De La Salle, 18:30
UCD Marian v CandS Neptune, UCD Sports Centre-Belfield, 19:00
DCU Saints v UCC Demons, Carrickmacross, 19:30
Garveys Tralee Warriors v Templeogue, Tralee, 19:30
Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League:
Pyrobel Killester v Marble City Hawks, IWA-Clontarf, 17:00
Courtyard Liffey Celtics v IT Carlow Basketball, Leixlip Amenities Centre, 19:30
Maxol WIT Wildcats v Fr Mathews, Mercy SS Waterford, 19:00
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One:
Ulster University Elks v Fr Mathews, Ulster University Elks, 15:00
LYIT Donegal v LIT, LYIT, 16:00
Bad Bobs Tolka Rovers v IT Carlow Basketball, Tolka Rovers SC, 18:00
Abbey Seals Dublin Lions v UL Sports Eagles, Colaiste Bride, 18:30
DBS Eanna v Tradehouse Central Ballincollig, Colaiste Eanna, 19:00
EJ Sligo All-Stars v Waterford Vikings, Mercy College, 19:30
KUBS BC v Scotts Lakers St Pauls Killarney, Greendale, 20:00
Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One
WNLC Women’s Division One Blitz, National Basketball Arena Tallaght, From 10:00
Sunday 10th March 2019
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League:
Pyrobel Killester v Maree, IWA-Clontarf, 19:00
Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League:
Ambassador UCC Glanmire v DCU Mercy, Mardyke Arena, 13:30
Singleton SuperValu Brunell v NUIG Mystics, Parochial Hall, 14:45
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One:
GameFootage.net Titans v Portlaoise Panthers, The Jes, 15:30