Lakers proving the surprise Cup packet

SURPRISE away wins for Gleneagle Lakers and Limerick and the expected victory for Abrakebabra Tigers on Saturday night means that there are four teams from Irish Basketball’s Southern Conference through to the quarter finals of the National Cup, leaving the likes of MDS Star and UCD knocking on the back door for their places.

Lakers have to be the surprise packet after a tumultuous and nail-biting week for fans who waited for developments as Clyde Ellis said he was leaving to return to the USA for family reasons, then announced he would wait for the Belfast trip only to be replaced at the last minute by Charron Watson and then leave for a club in Luxembourg.

While nobody was admitting anything, Watson was the ideal replacement - left watching from the bench when he came back from injury as Neptune danced to a new beat hammered out by Ronnie Clarke and Davinno Hines.