Table toppers, Horan’s Health Stores Tigers, face a tough assignment in their opening game in the ESB National Cup when they host the SuperLeague champions, Neptune, at the Tralee Sports Centre on the weekend of December 5-7.

DEFENDING champions Neptune added to St Vincent’s woes by inflicting a second defeat of the weekend on them in Glasnevin as the new conference structure in Irish basketball went into its first series of crossover games.