Vincent’s look to stay on track for double

ST VINCENT’S, with the Nivea for Men SuperLeague trophy in the bag, will be chasing the double this weekend when the Division One league champions take on Clondalkin Lakers on Sunday with their sights on a place in the Easter Monday final.

Vincent’s finished clear of Lakers to win the Dublin Conference and will go into this semi-final as favourites, but Lakers fancied their chances in the Cup in January before falling victim to Longford Falcons.

Should the Lakers and the Falcons progress to Monday’s final, Clondalkin coach Martin Moran will see it as an opportunity to exact revenge.

Whether the Falcons go through will already have been decided before Vincent’s and Lakers go into battle because the other semi-final is at 3pm, with Southern Conference champions Team Garveys St Mary’s providing a huge obstacle for PV’s Longford Falcons.

Garvey’s coach James Weldon knows his side are in for a tough game because Longford shaded it when they met earlier in the season.

Longford will be hoping for a repeat, turning to Rouldra Thomas from Mississippi, Canadian Tam Tamargo, Irish-American Michael Coghlan and Pole Rimus Simklis for big performances.

In the women’s semi-finals earlier on Sunday, Mercy Coolock and UCD, who finished second and third in the Dublin Conference, will tip off at 11am. Dart Killester, who finished top of the Dublin league, were beaten by UL Aughinish in the quarter-final. Limerick’s semi-final will take place at 1pm, when they face the women from St Mary’s, Galwey Auctioneers.

This is the third consecutive year that St Mary’s have made the semi-finals. The girls are three-time Southern winners, and two years ago they made the final but lost by a point to Mercy Coolock.

Fixtures: Sunday: National Basketball Arena: Women’s Division One semi-final 1: UCD v Mercy Coolock. 11 am; Semi-final 2: UL Aughinish v Galwey Auctioneering St Mary’s, 1pm.

Men’s Division One semi-final 1: PV’s Longford Falcons v Team Garveys St Mary’s 3pm; Semi-final 2: St Vincent’s v Clondalkin Lakers, 5pm.

Monday: Women’s Division One final, 1pm.

Men’s Division One final: 3pm.