LIMERICK LIONS will be without their coach, Sasa Punosevac, for the remainder of the season after their partnership ended by “mutual consent” at Christmas.

DCU SAINTS brought DART Killester’s unbeaten run to a dramatic end with a shock 91-88 overtime win in their Nivea for Men SuperLeague derby on Saturday night, before rounding off an exciting weekend with a win over the basement team, Ulster Elks, yesterday afternoon.

KIERAN O’BRIEN is expected to be back on court tomorrow night when DART Killester defend their unbeaten record against Belfast Star at the IWA gymnasium in Clontarf.

DART KILLESTER are now the only unbeaten team in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague after beating title rivals UCC Demons 98-86 in the cross-conference game at the IWA, Clontarf, on Saturday night.

UCC DEMONS and DART Killester are not just top of their respective conferences in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague — both share unbeaten records and that will end after tomorrow night’s clash at the IWA gym in Clontarf where they cross paths for the first time this season.

A miserable Bank Holiday for Abrakebabra Tigers continued on Monday as they slumped to an 81-67 defeat away to Limerick Lions.

NEPTUNE will parade their new American signing for the first time when they travel to Belfast tomorrow to play Star in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

UCC Demons will be bidding to make it four wins from four when they host Hoops this Bank Holiday weekend, while DART Killester can make it a perfect start to the weekend away to winless Ulster Elks.

The Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague resumes this weekend with in-from UCC Demons making the trip to the capital to face DCU Saints, while DART Killester host Limerick Lions hoping to maintain their fine start to the season.

EXPECT passion to rule when UCC Demons entertain Cork City rivals, Neptune, in the first derby game of the season at the Mardyke Arena tonight (8pm).

One of the biggest rivalries in Irish sport takes place this Friday night with UCC Demons entertaining fierce Cork rivals Neptune at the Mardyke Arena in the Nivea For Men’s Superleague.

STEPHEN McCARTHY will parade his new-look Neptune side before the home fans when the new basketball season tips off in Cork tomorrow night.

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.

Hoops are Belfast Star clash on Saturday with the winner guaranteed third place in Conference A and a place in the quarter-finals of this season’s Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CHAMPIONS DART Killester got their defence of the title off to a winning start against UCD/Marian on Thursday night and were able to watch from the wings as the NIVEA for MEN’S SuperLeague got back into full swing over the weekend with significant victories for Abrakebabra Tigers, Limerick Lions, and Neptune.

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.

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.

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.

IT may have done precious little to ease the disappointment of their cup final defeat two weeks earlier, but UCC Demons handed Abrakebabra Tigers a clear warning that their Nivea for Men SuperLeague ambitions could be under threat when they visited the Mardyke Arena yesterday afternoon.

ABRAKEBABRA TIGERS have targeted the double since the start of the season, coach Dave Falvey admitted yesterday.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers are braced for a backlash in Ballina tomorrow night when they play Merry Monk in the 11th round of the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague.

Neptune 75 Gleneagle Lakers 78

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

NEPTUNE coach Sasa Punosevac feels they can spring a surprise when they travel to Clontarf tomorrow night to play his old club, DART Killester, in the SuperLeague Cup qualifier.

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.

After the conclusion of open trials for locally-based players, seven players from the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague have been invited to join the senior men’s national squad in July.

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.

In the second men’s National League semi-final on Sunday, reigning Division One league champions and Dublin Conference winners St Vincent’s play in a local derby against Clondalkin Lakers.

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.

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.

GLENEAGLE LAKERS recorded a sensational second successive victory over the table toppers and defending champions, UCC Demons (105-90) in another thrilling NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague clash in Killarney on Saturday.

DART Killester 91 UCC Demons 92