Saints shock Killester as Elks fall at Neptune

DCU SAINTS brought off what could be the surprise of the season in recording a stunning victory over defending champions 11890 Killester, as the men’s SuperLeague turned the corner yesterday.

Killester travelled up to DCU with an unbeaten record that stretched back to February of last year but ended up on the wrong side of anamazing 88-81 scoreline.

Vinny O’Keeffe’s side stunned the champions with a complete team display. Martins Provizors and Mark Nagle shared 38 points while Eoin Darling and Emmet Donnelly chipped in with 15 apiece.

And it was no flash in the pan because the Saints led by as much as 21 points at one stage before 11890 Killester slowly reduced the margin - due largely to the combined effort of Jermaine Turner and Issac Westbrooks.

However, the Saints’ defence stood strong to the delight of their coach, who celebrated a stunning start to the New Year.

“You are never going to beat Killester by 20 points. We knew that,” O’Keeffe said. “But we had a fantastic team performance and even when they started coming back, we still held our heads.

“All the things that have gone against us during the season all came together today and worked for us.

“It’s a great way to start the New Year and it keeps us in the play-off race which is what we want to achieve.”

Bord Gáis Neptune shook off the effects of Thursday night’s derby defeat to score a 74-56 victory over Ulster Elks and maintain the pressure on neighbours UCC Demons, who play UCD Marian this afternoon with three games in hand.

Ger Noonan, who had one of his quieter games on Thursday night, led the way for Neptune with 20 points and coach Pat Price put the whole performance down to a greater intensity and much more focus.

“The start of the game was the key for us,” he said. “We came out strong and fighting and showed real commitment.”

The Cork side showcased their strength and depth by holding the Elks to a mere 26 points in the first half and Elks’ Kevin Foley contributed 23 of those.

“We were able to get into a rhythm defensively which allowed us to get everyone into the game and earn some quality minutes,” Price added.

Southern Conference leaders UL Eagles consolidated their position at the top of the table with an emphatic 79-45 victory over Moycullen with their USA stand out, Cameron Mitchell, contributing 30 points and Matt Hall adding another 16.

“It was tough to come back, but it was a nice break and a great chance to be able to get back together as a team and work on our game in time for the Cup,” Hall said.

“The Cup is the big game for us and we have one more chance to put it all together against DCU Saints next week.”