A crucial weekend for C & S UCC Demons as they face a double header, beginning tomorrow with a visit to the capital for a clash with Eanna, following by a mouth-watering home clash against Swords Thunder on Sunday.

Less than a month after she celebrated a league and cup double at home, Team Montenotte Hotel star Jess Scannell has made an immediate impact playing basketball in Australia.

Conor Meany of UCD Marian produced a season best for an Irish player in the Men’s Premier League when amassing 40 points in his team’s shock 97-86 win over Travelodge Swords Thunder.

Team Montenotte Hotel 62 Killester 36: Women’s National Cup final: GLANMIRE retained the Women’s National Cup following a comfortable win over Killester at the National Arena on Saturday.

And she made it look so easy.

Team Montenotte’s unbeaten record in the Women’s Premier League is sure to be tested when they play joint leaders Courtyard Liffey Celtics at Upper Glanmire Sports Centre tomorrow.

C&S UCC Demons’ Ciarán O’Sullivan insists focus won’t be straying beyond this weekend’s Premier League opener against Cork rivals Neptune to a potentially mouth-watering November clash against Killester in round one of the men’s National Cup.

C&S UCC Demons 82 Dublin Inter 64

Thirty years ago, two Cork men set up the community basketball clubs that dominate the women’s game in this country today.

WOMEN'S NATIONAL CUP FINAL:

The National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, tucked away down a nondescript laneway just off the M50, is a quaint kind of building for a place only turning 21 this year.

New formats, new names, new teams.

UL Eagles may have been shocked by DCU Saints in the Champions Trophy semi-final on Friday night but their ladies team have a chance to exact some revenge as they qualified for Nivea Women’s SuperLeague final against DCU Mercy.

Changing times on Ireland’s basketball scene. The final four Champions Trophy spots for the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague have been settled and there will be no Killester or UCD Marian in the shake up.

They should have spent the week celebrating. Basking in the glory of securing the league. Letting off steam ahead of the Champions Trophy.

You know the line: “We’re just concentrating on our own game...”

It won’t compensate for the Cup final defeat, and it wasn’t especially pretty.

It was a shock when they beat UCC Demons in the cup semi-final.

Friday night lights for basketball’s blue riband finals. Good idea or pandering to TV?

There’s just one game in the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague this weekend as Moycullen welcome Dublin Inter to Galway tomorrow.

Belfast Star have withdrawn from the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague.

Bord Gais Neptune ensured second place in the Southern Conference ahead of UL Eagles in the final game of the season.

Basketball's Northern Conference leaders DCU Saints travel to Cork on Sunday to play Bord Gais Neptune in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

IRISH basketball will switch from the bread and butter of the SuperLeague to the caviar of the Cup this weekend when the various semi-finals will be shared out between Neptune Stadium and The Parochial Hall.

UCC DEMONS return to the revamped Mardyke Arena on Sunday (3.30pm) but 11890 Killester, the defending Nivea for Men SuperLeague champions, can expect anything but a warm welcome.

NEW signing Robert Taylor would appear to have solved the outstanding problem for UL Eagles’ coach Mark Keenan, who watched him contribute 21 points as they beat Bord Gáis Neptune 76-71 to return to the top of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague Southern Conference.

THREE Munster SuperLeague clubs are through to the semi-finals of the National Cup while defending champions, UCD Marian, and the league leaders, DCU Saints are out.

BORD Gáis Neptune coach Mark Scannell set his side a target of 80 points against defending champions 11890 Killester in yesterday’s Nivea for Men SuperLeague clash at Neptune Stadium and, while they did not achieve that, a close 73-72 victory was more than satisfactory.

REIGNING champions, 11890 Killester, got their defence of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague title back on track on Saturday night with an emphatic 100-86 win over UCC Demons.

UCC DEMONS, who sprung a huge shock last weekend when ending the winning run of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague leaders, DCU Saints, travel to Dublin tomorrow in search of another upset when they take on 11890 Killester.

IT IS the meeting of last season’s men’s Superleague finalists, but it’s not a defining clash in terms of this campaign, Killester coach Darren O’Neill has insisted ahead of Sunday’s trip to Neptune Stadium in Cork.

THERE were perfect results for new coaches, Darren O’Neill and Mark Scannell, as the reigning NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague champions, 11890 Killester, Bord Gais Neptune, got the new basketball season under way.

Reigning Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague champions 11890 Killester got their defence off to a winning start at home to Belfast Star, while Bord Gais Neptune sent out an early marker with a comprehensive win at home to UL Eagles.

DEFENDING champions, DCU Mercy, and last year’s beaten finalists, Team Montenotte Hotel from Cork, will once more face off for theWomen’s SuperLeague National Cup title in a fortnight.

CORK is regarded by many as the spiritual home of Irish basketball and fans are in for another treat this weekend when all the National Cup semi-finals will be decided over two action-packed days at Neptune Stadium and the Parochial Hall.

11890 KILLESTER will leave their NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague opponents with plenty of food for thought over the Festive season after a perfect campaign up to now in defence of the title.

11890 Killester are the only unbeaten side in the NIVEA For MEN SuperLeague after a 93-81 win over UL Eagles at Clontarf on Saturday night.

UL EAGLES cruised to a sixth Superleague win out of seven yesterday, destroying Moycullen with 30 points to spare in Limerick.

COACH Luke D’Alessio will have to plan the next couple of weeks without UCC Demon’s captain and star player, Shane Coughlan.

WITH their defence of the national cup on course, UCC Demons will concentrate on getting their Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague campaign back on track when they travel to Dublin tomorrow evening to play Killester.

NEW coach Pat Price will be hoping for an improved performance before the home fans when Neptune take on UL Eagles tomorrow night (8pm).