Flying Eagles shock Neptune
When they met in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague a couple of weeks ago, Neptune ended Eagles’ unbeaten record with a 10-point win which should have set them up nicely for this cup clash.
However, they walked straight into an ambush at the University Arena where American summer recruit, Cameron Mitchell, turned up with all guns blazing.
Mitchell arrived in Ireland with a stellar reputation as a powerful forward and he lived up to that reputation on Saturday when he chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds as Eagles beat Neptune 76-58 to secure a quarter-final spot against UCC Demons.
“It was a tough game and the intensity was higher than in the previous games this season,” Mitchell admitted. “We played really good team defence and put in a vastly improved display than we did in our last meeting. We have a long way to go, but we are progressing nicely and we are relieved we got through this game.”
Jermaine Turner contributed 27 points as 11890 Killester, without Paddy Kelly and Kieran O’Brien, beat Moycullen 107-71 to qualify for the semi-finals.
Moycullen’s hopes were hampered in the third quarter when Cian Nihill was forced to retire with an ankle injury but the champions always had too much firepower.
“It was messy at times but we got the job done and we are delighted to get such a great start in the cup,” Killester coach, Mark Keenan, said.
Eagles now meet UCC Demons for a place in the semi-finals alongside Killester, while the quarter-finals between Ulster Elks and Belfast star and UCD Marian and DCU Saints will decide the other semi-finalists.
In the SuperLeague, DCU Saints recorded their third successive win courtesy of a 91-88 win away over Belfast Star. The Saints were a point behind at half-time and had to withstand another big performance from Star’s new American, Clayton Longmire, who chipped in with a massive 39 points before clinching the three-point victory.
Saints coach Vinny O’Keeffe paid tribute to his side’s nerve in holding out for the three points in a tense finish. “It’s the first time in a while we have beaten Star and we made life difficult for ourselves at times,” he said.
“It was the kind of game we might have lost in the past but I am delighted we managed to see it through.
“We were 12 points ahead at one stage but they had a high percentage from the free throw line and stayed with us. We are on a good run with three wins in a row and we scored over 90 points against Star, which is pleasing.”
Coach Fran Ryan was singing his side’s defensive praises after UCD Marian disposed of Ulster Elks 75-43.
“One of our problems recently has been in defence, but we put a huge amount of work into it and put on a great show against Elks,” he said. “We were without the likes of Barry Glover and Dan James but we have players in the squad who warrant time on the court and they showed it against Elks.”
