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.

There will be a new name on the National cup this year after Abrakebabra Tigers knocked the reigning cup champions UCC Mardyke Demons in the semi-final at the ESB Arena yesterday.

IF SuperLeague form was the guide, then Abrakebabra Tigers would be certainties to take the National Cup back to Tralee tomorrow night.

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.

Brendan Mooney

BASKETBALL can be a funny old game. A couple of months ago, BurgerKing Limerick, then the reigning Cup champions, were more or less dismissed as a force in the ESB SuperLeague but, while they have no chance of lifting that trophy, they are once again the centre of attention and they are loving it.

Neptune are only two victories away from the Superleague title following their 85-72 victory over Tralee Tigers on Wednesday night.

There are changes to the ESB men’s Superleague schedule this weekend to allow senior internationals, Damien Sealy and Adrian Fulton join the Irish team in Germany on Sunday