AFTER an amazing weekend that saw Neptune overwhelmed by DART Killester and Mardyke UCC Demons lose an apparently unassailable lead before fighting back to beat UCD, the pairings for next weekend’s semi-finals of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague have been decided with Abrakebabra Tigers from Tralee and Roma St. Vincent’s already qualified.

Tralee Tiger’s player coach Chris Craig has been named as the Philips Sports Manager of the Month for January.

Brendan Mooney

Brendan Mooney

Galwey Auctioneering Hoops 71 Mardyke UCC Demons 41

IF SuperLeague form was the guide, then Abrakebabra Tigers would be certainties to take the National Cup back to Tralee tomorrow night.

DAVID MURPHY, one of Irish basketball’s most exciting young talents, faces a busy weekend with the possibility of playing in the senior men’s semi-final with Mardyke UCC Demons before going on to captain the club’s U19’s tomorrow night in the men’s junior final.

ON A weekend when three of the four cup semi-finalists tasted defeat a week before Cup final weekend, Limerick Lions got their challenge for the NIVEA SuperLeague play-off spot back on track with a sensational 107-98 home victory over Mardyke UCC Demons.

COACH Jim Nugent says Davenno Hines will be a key player as Neptune battle for a place in the play-off stages of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

AFTER the excitement of the senior men’s cup last weekend some clubs will be searching through the debris over the coming days to see if they can salvage anything.

The draw for the semi-finals of basketball's men's National Cup took place today and pits reigning cup holders Mardyke UCC Demons against SuperLeague champions and Southern Conference table toppers, Abrakebabra Tigers.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers overwhelmed DART Killester - 111 to 88 - to send three Munster teams through to the semi-finals of the National Cup on what was a great weekend for basketball in the province.

BASKETBALL action in Cork gets off to a flying start in the New Year with two quarter-finals of the National Cup to be decided at Neptune Stadium on January 2, and the Mardyke Arena on Monday, January 3.

NEPTUNE and Shamrock Rovers Hoops have each won basketball’s most coveted prize - the National Cup - four times but tomorrow night they will be battling to stay in this year’s competition at Neptune Stadium.

AFTER a sensational victory over Merry Monk Ballina in the National Cup qualifier on Wednesday, Waterford Crystal have the opportunity to go one better by springing a surprise in Sunday’s SuperLeague clash with Abrakebabra Tigers in Tralee.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers are top of the pile in basketball’s Southern Conference — but watch out for Limerick Lions, who are on a high after their seven-point weekend victory over Mardyke UCC Demons in Cork.

The Southern Conference of the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague hosts an intriguing clash between Limerick Lions and Mardyke UCC Demons in Cork tomorrow night.

SURPRISE away wins for Gleneagle Lakers and Limerick and the expected victory for Abrakebabra Tigers on Saturday night means that there are four teams from Irish Basketball’s Southern Conference through to the quarter finals of the National Cup, leaving the likes of MDS Star and UCD knocking on the back door for their places.

WHEN Mardyke UCC Demons and Neptune battled their way through to the final of the National Cup at the end of last season everyone was regretting the fact that it was not to be played in Cork - for many the spiritual home of basketball.

CLYDE ELLIS will, after all, be available to Gleneagle Lakers when they play MDS Star in the first round of the men’s National Cup in Belfast on Saturday.

NEPTUNE coach Jim Nugent has a tough call this weekend when they travel to Belfast to play MDS Star in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague.

Mardyke UCC Demons 72 Neptune 74

MARDYKE UCC DEMONS, the defending champions, will meet Neptune, last season’s beaten finalists, in the first round of the National Cup at the Mardyke Arena on the weekend of 20-21 November.

COACHES Pat Price and Jim Nugent insist they are putting points before passion when Mardyke UCC Demons and Neptune clash in tonight’s Cork derby SuperLeague game at The Mardyke Arena (8.15pm).

The Mardyke Arena saw an enthralling contest as Mardyke UCC Demons took on defending champions Abrakebara Tigers in the Men’s SuperLeague.

Brendan Mooney

National Cup Champions Mardyke UCC Demons will take on defending league champions Abrakebara Tigers on Sunday in the game of the weekend in the Men's Basketball SuperLeague.

LIMERICK coach Tom Hehir last night appealed to fans to support them as they celebrated their biggest weekend since winning the National Cup a couple of years ago with back to back SuperLeague victories over Neptune and Waterford Crystal.

THIS weekend Neptune stage their pre-season basketball tournament - an event that attracts a huge interest from all over the country.

THE ESB Superleague finals will return to the spiritual home of Irish basketball next week in the plush surroundings of The Mardyke Arena, Cork's newest centre.

GLENEAGLE Lakers dragged themselves back from a mid-season crisis to claim second place in the ESB SuperLeague and earn a home draw against Hibernian UCD Marian in next week’s play-offs.

A WIN for Gleneagle Lakers over Dart Killester on Saturday, a shock defeat for champions Neptune at Shamrock Rovers and an unexpected drubbing for double-chasing Mardyke UCC Demons at the hands of St Vincent's yesterday has added a new edge to the ESB SuperLeague.

GLENEAGLE Lakers coach Mark Scannell has called on basketball authorities to explain the eligibility confusion over Dart Killester’s Keith Friel.

NEPTUNE will bring no Cup baggage into tonight’s big ESB Superleague clash against deadly local rivals Mardyke UCC Demons, Gordon Fitzgerald insisted last night.

Mardyke UCC Demons 76 Dart Killester 67

Mardyke UCC Demons 86 TTH Neptune 83

Reigning champions Mardyke UCC Demons are on course for a third National Cup win in 19 years, as the Corkmen saw off the challenge of Merry Monk Ballina 87-78 in today’s first semi-final at the ESB Arena in Tallaght.

MARDYKE UCC Demons are rated as one of the best junior teams ever to come out of Cork and if they cross paths with either the defending champions, Shamrock Rovers, or Dart Killester in the final of the ESB Men’s Junior Cup at the ESB Arena tomorrow night, then they could provide the game of the weekend.

The wait is almost over for the 14 teams who will compete in the National Cup finals this weekend.

NEW arrival DJ Harrison could be the man to decide the destination of the ESB Cup next weekend when he lines out with Mardyke UCC Demons.

NEPTUNE put their ESB Cup preparations aside as they prepare to entertain Gleneagle Lakers in the SuperLeague at Neptune Stadium tonight.