DCU SAINTS brought off what could be the surprise of the season in recording a stunning victory over defending champions 11890 Killester, as the men’s SuperLeague turned the corner yesterday.

AFTER last weekend’s sickening loss to UL Eagles in the quarter-final of the National Cup, UCC Demons coach Paul Kelleher will be hoping for a massive turnaround when they return to the UL Arena tomorrow night for a NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague assignment.

WITH defending champions 1890 Killester in waiting, the remaining quarter-finals of the Men’s SuperLeague National Cup will be played this weekend.

PAUL KELLEHER could hardly have hoped for better after stepping into the role of the head coach with his club, UCC Demons.

DEFENDING champions UCC Demons face a tricky assignment in defence of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague title when they travel to Belfast on Sunday afternoon to face the Northern Conference runners-up, Star, for the second successive week.

NEPTUNE STADIUM, the arena that revolutionised Irish basketball and which is, to many, still the spiritual home of the game on this island, is 25 years old this weekend and it is fitting that the home team should host their long-time arch rivals, DCU Saints, in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague to tip off the celebrations this afternoon (4 pm).

SUPERLEAGUE clubs may opt to boycott the league play-offs, due to be held in Letterkenny on the weekend of March 28.

WITH the National Cup and Southern Conference titles all wrapped up, UCC Demons will continue their relentless pursuit of the treble when they turn their attentions to Limerick Lions in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

A disastrous weekend for Abrakebabra Tigers ended with the departure of head coach Mark Bernsen following their surprise hammering at the hands of DCU Saints.

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

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.

Ireland 58 Switzerland 86

Ireland 80-63 Luxembourg

THEY may be more hopeful than confident of reversing the result of their last meeting but the Irish men’s senior basketball team will play with passion when they face Switzerland in Sunday’s European championship game in Geneva.

Ireland 72 Norway 79

IRELAND will host Norway, Austria, Portugal, Iceland and Luxembourg over four days of intense competition at the National Basketball Arena in preparation for the respective European championship campaigns.

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.

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.

TRALEE TIGERS are determined to build on their confidence-boosting victory in Limerick last Monday when they travel to UCD tomorrow in week four of basketball’s NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

DART KILLESTER let things slip literally in double overtime on Saturday night as they forfeited a very tight encounter with Neptune in basketball’s Men’s Superleague.

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.

BALLINA caused the biggest upset in a sensational weekend’s basketball by dumping Dart Killester out of the ESB National Cup as the semi-finalists were decided.

FESTIVE goodwill is in plentiful supply in Cork this weekend. On Sunday, Neptune are offering free admission to everyone for their meeting with Irish Travel Partner Saints (St Vincent’s) in the ESB SuperLeague at Neptune Stadium.