REIGNING champions UCC Demons and challengers Abrakebabra Tigers sharpened the competitive edge in advance of next Sunday’s National Cup final with solid NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague victories over the weekend.

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 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.

MICHAEL EVANS embarks on one of the most difficult assignments in Irish basketball tomorrow night when he sends Neptune out against Roma St Vincent’s in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague at Glasnevin hoping to stem the flood that has threatened to submerge the Cork side this season.

UCD 119 Abrakababra Tigers 126

Brendan Mooney

Brendan Mooney

WHEN Mardyke UCC Demons and Neptune battled their way through to the final of the National Cup at the end of last season everyone was regretting the fact that it was not to be played in Cork - for many the spiritual home of basketball.

CLYDE ELLIS will, after all, be available to Gleneagle Lakers when they play MDS Star in the first round of the men’s National Cup in Belfast on Saturday.

DART Killester and Abrakebabra Tigers remain unbeaten and top of their respective conferences ahead of the much anticipated cross-conference clash at the Tralee Sports Centre in two weeks.

UNBEATEN at the top of the ESB SuperLeague table, Horan’s Healthstores Tigers’ next joust is against Mardyke UCC Demons who travel to the Tralee Sports Centre tomorrow night.

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.