Spirits are high in the Irish camp ahead of their final competitive match this year in the Women’s European Basketball Championship against Luxembourg at the ESB Arena this evening (7.30pm).

IRELAND’S basketball teams begin the countdown to European Championship action tonight with the first in a series of friendlies.

Basketball Ireland yesterday announced that tickets are available for the series of friendly and European Championship games in Cork and Dublin.

Basketball Ireland today announced tickets have gone on sale for the upcoming series of friendly and European Championship games.

A WIN for Gleneagle Lakers over Dart Killester on Saturday, a shock defeat for champions Neptune at Shamrock Rovers and an unexpected drubbing for double-chasing Mardyke UCC Demons at the hands of St Vincent's yesterday has added a new edge to the ESB SuperLeague.

GLENEAGLE Lakers coach Mark Scannell has called on basketball authorities to explain the eligibility confusion over Dart Killester’s Keith Friel.

Drimnagh Dynamos 54 Vienna Woods Glanmire 44

Reigning champions Mardyke UCC Demons are on course for a third National Cup win in 19 years, as the Corkmen saw off the challenge of Merry Monk Ballina 87-78 in today’s first semi-final at the ESB Arena in Tallaght.

MARDYKE UCC Demons are rated as one of the best junior teams ever to come out of Cork and if they cross paths with either the defending champions, Shamrock Rovers, or Dart Killester in the final of the ESB Men’s Junior Cup at the ESB Arena tomorrow night, then they could provide the game of the weekend.

DEFENDING champions, Mardyke UCC Demons, have drawn giant killers Team Merry Monk Ballina in the first of the ESB National Cup semi-finals and yesterday Ballina secretary Eamonn Kennedy warned their performance against Dart Killester at the weekend was no flash in the pan.

The Basketball Ireland and ESB National Cup quarter-final draw took place at the ESB Arena this afternoon.

Gleneagle Lakers recorded their first Cup victory in seven years, putting in a huge performance to defeat Shamrock Rovers 103-77 and booking their place in the quarter-finals round.

The ESB National Cup draw took place in the ESB Arena today, with some daunting ties lined up for the weekend of December 5-7.

THE national men’s basketball teams will be chasing bronze medals after losses at the ESB Arena yesterday. Ireland 4 went under to Pakistan, 33-25 in overtime and got a standing ovation from the huge crowd before Ireland 3, battling it out with division seven favourites Kazakhstan, lost 49-26.

THE divisioning in basketball was being reviewed last night following big defeats for Ireland’s two women’s teams at the Loughlinstown Arena yesterday.

IRELAND may have lost their first two basketball games in their respective groups at the ESB Arena yesterday, but head coach Anne Marie Whelan is confident they can come away with medals.

THE Dublin extravaganza in Croke Park has left the organisers of next year’s Olympic Games in Athens with a very difficult act to follow when they create their Opening Ceremony according to a leading Special Olympics official.

Sx3 STAR reinforced their ESBSuperLeague aspirations with their 96-106 victory over Notre Dame on Wednesday night with just three games remaining in the competition, but coach Danny Fulton insisted yesterday that the business was not finished.

SX3 Star 72 Dart Killester 61

Notre Dame 97 UCC Mardyke Demons 105 (after extra time)

THE spotlight will be on the SuperLeague table toppers Notre Dame and Sx3 Star when the semi-finals of the ESB National Cup get under way at the ESB Arena this afternoon.

TOMORROW week Notre Dame and Mardyke UCC Demons will face up to each other in what promises to be a spectacular ESB National Cup semi-final but the respective coaches will be bidding to put that at the back of their minds as they face into critical SuperLeague engagements.

THE Irish basketball team want to end what has been a topsy turvy campaign in the best possible fashion when they play Cyprus in the last home game of the European championships semi-final round at the Mardyke Arena in Cork next Wednesday.

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.

WHENEVER Neptune and Demons meet in a Cork derby fireworks are assured and tonight will be no exception when they clash at Neptune Stadium (8 p.m.).

Mardyke UCC Demons will be the underdogs going into the Cork basketball derby game on Friday night after a run of victories for Neptune in recent weeks.

THE ESB Men’s Super League tips off this weekend with 12 teams vying for the most prestigious title in Irish basketball. And already a tight and tense campaign is predicted.