Cork cup action raises the rafters
A feast of basketball ended with UCC Demons’ 88-83 victory over Neptune in the men’s semi-final on Sunday (they meet Killester in two weeks in the final, a repeat of last year’s decider).
Team Montenotte reached their fourth consecutive Senior Women’s National Cup final after beating Meteors 78-46 and will meet DCU Mercy in the decider.
Basketball Ireland PRO Shane Whelan said yesterday that the game’s governing body would strongly consider staging the semi-finals in Cork again.
“Definitely in the future – you can only go on the most recent event, and the semi-finals were a huge success,” he said yesterday.
“Everybody involved with Neptune Stadium put in a huge effort and for the first event of the year, it was a great boost and gives us momentum as the year continues.”
Whelan added that everyone involved in basketball was “finding it hard to come down” after the excitement of the weekend, which culminated in UCC Demons’ dramatic win over Neptune on Sunday afternoon.
“It was a great lift, you had a full house and queues outside, with kids running around inside with Demons and Neptune tops, it was fantastic.
“In a lot of ways it was like a GAA day, with the big match of the weekend coming last. We had a full programme of games in the Parochial Hall on the Saturday and the same in Neptune on the Sunday, and it was a real weekend of basketball.
“In the States when the Final Four college tournament comes to a city, it takes over that city, and it was the same in Cork over the weekend. It just shows how much people in Cork love their sport.”
Whelan said those involved in the sport hoped recent events would help revive interest in basketball.
“We’ve had a few things happening recently – the 25th anniversary of Neptune Stadium, the Kieran Shannon book ‘Hanging From The Rafters’, we have a new team in the SuperLeague, Moycullen, who are drawing good crowds.
“So all things considered there’s a lot happening, and people certainly hope that last weekend will spark a revival of interest in the sport.
“It’s been a tough few months for basketball – for all sports in the current climate – but last weekend was exhilarating. In my time with Basketball Ireland it’s one of the best basketball moments I can remember.
“The cover of the book ‘Hanging From The Rafters’ shows a classic basketball moment from the heyday of the sport back in the eighties, and it was the same in Neptune over the weekend. Hopefully we can get back to that level of interest.”
