Roaring Tigers favourites to hoop another Tralee title

THEY have the National Cup safely stashed away in Tralee, have topped the Southern Conference, and will be raging hot favourites to retain the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague when they put the title on the line at the Mardyke Arena in Cork this weekend.

Tomorrow afternoon, Tralee Tigers will play DART Killester in the second of the semi-finals while Mardyke UCC Demons, who host the weekend's extravaganza of basketball, tip off against Roma St Vincent's, also for a place in Sunday's final.

Last summer, people were wondering if Tigers would be able to mount a serious defence of the title they won with such passion the previous season. Then it all began to come together new sponsorship, new coach, new players under the old structure that served the club so well for so long.