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.

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 to the final shake-up, Limerick Lions will host defending champions UCC Demons in a mouth-watering NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague clash at UL Arena tomorrow night.

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).

UCC Demons 113 Gleneagle Lakers 120

The first ever National Cup semi-final weekend tips off this weekend with an action-packed schedule of games.

MICHAEL EVANS embarks on one of the most difficult assignments in Irish basketball tomorrow night when he sends Neptune out against Roma St Vincent’s in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague at Glasnevin hoping to stem the flood that has threatened to submerge the Cork side this season.

Neptune have had an unstable start to the season with both player and coach changes. They have signed another new coach for this weekend’s clash against Roma St Vincent’s on Saturday night.

ABRAKEBABRA TIGERS released their second American during the week, so Joe Quirke will be banking on his Irish players when the club host UCC Demons in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague this weekend.

PATRICK POPE, winner of a Nivea for Men SuperLeague medal with UCC Demons last season, appears to have come to the rescue of Merry Monk Ballina, judging by his performance against Shamrock Hoops on Saturday night.

TWO weeks after their humiliating 31-point drubbing in Tralee, Abrakebabra Tigers travel to Cork tonight in search of revenge from defending Superleague champions, UCC Demons.

LIMERICK Lions hammered out a sensational 94-83 victory over UCC Demons as defending champions Abrakebabra Tigers kept their title hopes intact with a two point victory over Merry Monk Ballina when the SuperLeague Men’s National Cup got underway at the weekend.

It is a big weekend for Merry Monk Ballina, who play two home games as week two of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague gets underway.

THEY have the National Cup safely stashed away in Tralee, have topped the Southern Conference, and will be raging hot favourites to retain the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague when they put the title on the line at the Mardyke Arena in Cork this weekend.

Brendan Mooney

Abrakebara Tigers 90 - Roma St Vincent's 81

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.

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.

MARDYKE UCC Demons recorded a very significant victory over Roma St Vincent’s in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague at Glasnevin yesterday and learnt almost immediately that they will be at home to UCD when they defend their National Cup title.

Today’s draw for the quarter finals of the National Cup saw the two SuperLeague conference leaders pitted against each other, with Abrekebabra Tigers travelling to DART Killester.

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.

Tralee side Abrakebabra Tigers will face Merry Monk Ballina missing several key players in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague this weekend.

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.

Roma St Vincent's 97 MDS Star 72

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).

Dart Killester face UCD this Saturday in a weekend of derby basketball action in Dublin which also sees Shamrock Rovers Hoops at home to Roma St Vincent's on Friday night in the Men's SuperLeague.