KIERAN DONAGHY had his first full training session with defending champions Abrakebabra Tigers in Tralee on Tuesday but coach Mark Bernsen does not expect him to play a part in their opening Nivea for Men Superleague game at home to UCD Marian on Saturday night.

UCD DEMONS can copper-fasten their play-off hopes if they beat Limerick Lions in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague at the Mardyke Arena tonight on the back of what has been a great couple of weeks for the Cork club.

The Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague resumes after the drama of last weekend’s National Cup semi-final clashes, where Abrakebabra Tigers and DART Killester booked their place in the men’s final, while Team Montenotte Hotel Cork have a set-up a date with Waterford Wildcats.

THERE is nothing like a derby game to excite the imagination and when Cork’s neighbouring basketball clubs, UCC Demons and Neptune, meet the atmosphere is unique.

UCC DEMONS will have revenge on their minds against NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague favourites, Abrakebabra Tigers, at the Mardyke Arena tonight.

STEPHEN McCARTHY will add a new and exciting dimension to an illustrious basketball career when he leads Neptune into their critical SuperLeague game against Merry Monk Ballina as coach in Cork tomorrow night.

JUST a few years after retiring, former international Stephen McCarthy returns to basketball’s SuperLeague as coach to his club Neptune, who parted company with Dan Mobbs after a drubbing by DART Killester in the cup.

CHAMPIONS Abrakebabra Tigers will host Merry Monk Ballina at the Tralee Sports Centre in defence of the SuperLeague Cup title the weekend after next in what promises to be the game of the round.

The draw for the quarter-final stages of the SuperLeague Cup was made at the National Basketball Arena this morning.

ABRAKEBABRA TIGERS have arranged an emergency meeting ahead of tomorrow night’s SuperLeague clash with Merry Monk Ballina to consider the decision to deduct points from them following their recent game with Limerick Lions.

Abrakebabra Tigers have claimed victory in the battle of the unbeaten sides with an impressive win away to Dublin giants DCU Saints on Saturday night.

REIGNING Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague champions DART Killester were stunned by Belfast Star at the weekend, while DCU Saints produced a fine comeback to beat a brave UCD/Marian yesterday to continue their excellent start to the season.

RONAN McGARRITY will be back in the starting five when Merry Monk Ballina travel to Neptune Stadium on Sunday to renew rivalry with Neptune in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

LIMERICK LIONS produced the shock result of the opening weekend of basketball’s men’s SuperLeague by pipping Merry Monk by a point in Ballina — and now their coach, Matt Hall, wants more of the same for the visit of DCU Saints to the UL Arena tomorrow night.

The opening weekend of the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague got off to a thrilling start with Limerick Lions snatching victory from the hands of Ballina, while Belfast Star came out on top in the Ulster derby with league newcomers University of Ulster.

RONAN McGARRITY will be accorded a hero’s welcome when he lines out for Merry Monk Ballina against Limerick Lions in their first SuperLeague game of the new season tomorrow night.

Reigning Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague champions DART Killester open the 2007/08 campaign with a trip to UCD Marian on Thursday night, while University of Ulster begin their stint in the top division on Sunday.

DART Killester 95 Merry Monk Ballina 90

DART Killester are the 2007 SuperLeague Champions after a superb tussle against Merry Monk Ballina at the UL Arena this afternoon.

Merry Monk Ballina have booked their place in tomorrow’s SuperLeague semi-final after a closely run contest with National Cup Champions Abrakebabra Tigers at the UL Sports Arena this afternoon.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers will have Wilder Auguste in the line-up when they chase the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague title in Limerick this weekend — and Tralee coach Dave Falvey is hoping that Kieran Donaghy may show up for their semi-final against Merry Monk Ballina tomorrow.

PLAY-OFF wins for UCC Demons over Shamrock Rovers Hoops and Merry Monk Ballina over Mustang Sallys/St Paul’s have cleared the way for an exciting weekend of basketball at the UL Arena.

COACH Kevin Young says Shamrock Rovers Hoops will give high flying UCC Demons a big game when they meet tomorrow in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague semi-final clash at The Mardyke Arena.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers claimed their second trophy of the season and what coach Dave Falvey hopes is the second leg of the treble, when they beat Mustang Sallys on Tuesday to clinch the Southern Conference and a place in the semi-finals of the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

The final weekend of the Nivea For Men SuperLeague Northern and Southern Conferences has arrived.

WITH a new air of excitement at the top of the conference tables, teams will be hoping to improve their positions this weekend in time for the Nivea for Men SuperLeague play-offs at the UL Arena on March 24 and 25.

REIGNING champions UCC Demons and challengers Abrakebabra Tigers sharpened the competitive edge in advance of next Sunday’s National Cup final with solid NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague victories over the weekend.

Merry Monk Ballina’s Ronan McGarrity and Mustang Sally’s St Paul’s Ger Noonan are Decembers Nivea for Men SuperLeague Players of the Month for the North Conference and the South Conference respectively.

MERRY MONK BALLINA put the finishing touches to what has been a good first half season with a 94-80 victory over troubled UCD Marian on Saturday night and this keeps them alongside HOOPS at the top of the table.

BOTH the Abrakebabra Tigers coach Dave Falvey, and the Limerick Lions coach Tom Hehir were left holding their heads in disbelief after Tigers had snatched an 89-92 victory and the vital NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague points on the buzzer at UL Arena yesterday afternoon.

NEPTUNE coach Saisa Ponosevac is hoping for good news on Gordon Fitzgerald’s recuperation ahead of tonight’s Nivea for Men SuperLeague derby against UCC Demons at The Mardyke Arena.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers will include Kieran Donaghy when they host DART Killester in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague at the Tralee Sports Complex tomorrow night.

THE first cross-conference weekend in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague season was disastrous for the teams from the South, who will be hoping to pick up the pieces when their paths cross again this weekend.

NEW NEPTUNE coach Sasa Punosevac, will be looking for more of the same when his side entertain his old club, DART Killester, at Neptune Stadium on Sunday.

Week two of the fresh Basketball Super League Season gets under way this weekend with cross conference fixtures being thrown up for the Novae for Men Super League Men.

Neptune 88 UCC Demons 71

CUP holders UCC Demons can make history this weekend if they complete the double for the first time in their 40 year history by retaining their NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague title at the Mardyke Arena.

DEFENDING champions UCC Demons will face Roma St. Vincent’s in the first semi-final of the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague at The Mardyke Arena next Saturday afternoon while Merry Monk Ballina will contest the other place in the final with Limerick Lions.

WITH UCC Demons and Merry Monk Ballina waiting in the wings, the battle for the remaining semi-final places in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague reaches a climax tomorrow night, when Limerick Lions host DART Killester and Killarney’s Gleneagle Lakers travel to Dublin to play Roma St Vincent’s.

WHAT a difference a couple of days can make. After losing Wednesday night’s derby game in Tralee, Gleneagle Lakers had abandoned all hope of making it to the quarter-finals of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague as Abrakebabra Tigers, it would appear, faced something of a formality when they entertained the Southern Conference basement team, Neptune, on Saturday night.

LIMERICK Lions coach Tom Hehir will be asking his players for an extra effort against high-flying UCC Demons in their final NIVEA for Men SuperLeague regular game of the season at the Mardyke tonight.

This weekend is the final weekend of the regular season in the Women’s SuperLeague. The top six have been decided, but this weekend teams will be playing for place.

NEPTUNE, coming off last weekend’s long overdue win, will be looking for more of the same at Neptune Stadium tomorrow night when they play UCD in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

First up tonight, DART Killester face ROMA St Vincent’s in a crucial tie at the top of the Northern Conference in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague at 9pm.

With just five weeks left in the regular season, all teams have their eyes firmly fixed on capturing a coveted play-off spot in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague quarter-finals (to take place on March 18 and 19).

NEWLY crowned Cup champions UCC Demons and beaten finalists Limerick Lions remain locked at the top of the Southern Conference table in the run-up to next weekend’s head to head following important victories in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague yesterday.

UCC Demons 113 Gleneagle Lakers 120

NEW coach Michael Evans will measure Neptune’s progress when they tip off a big weekend for Cork in tonight’s home game against Limerick Lions.

UCC DEMONS and Limerick Lions will provide an all-Munster final in the SuperLeague National Cup on Sunday week after yesterday’s semi-finals saw them dismiss Merry Monk Ballina and DART Killester, respectively, at the National Basketball Arena.

UCC Demons 118 Merry Monk Ballina 101