'The safety net is gone' as basketball season heads to play-offs
TRADEHOUSE Central Ballincollig head coach Kieran O’Sullivan believes their InsureMyVan.ie Super League quarter-final play-off with Griffith College Templeogue will 'come down to fine margins'
Ballincollig cruised through the South Conference with a 15-1 record in their debut Super League season and were 81-62 winners when the sides met for a cross-conference game in November but there is no sign of complacency from O’Sullivan.
“The lads have been working extremely hard since July and are very keen to keep our season going. A playoff game against Templeogue is a very difficult assignment, they have huge experience throughout - the players and coaching staff. Saturday’s game is going to come down to fine margins. A full house and huge excitement in Ballincollig is guaranteed on Saturday afternoon”, O’Sullivan said.
North Conference winners DBS Éanna finished with a 13-3 regular-season record. Their reward is a meeting with NUIG Maree - a side they defeated 96-83 at home earlier this season.
Killester finished North Conference runners-up after Belfast Star’s withdrawal. They now host C&S Neptune in the last eight, a side they’ve lost twice at home to this season, 100-76 in the Super League and 92-86 in the Cup quarter-finals.
C&S Neptune player/coach Colin O’Reilly said: “We are looking forward to Saturday, as the playoffs always bring added intensity to games. Killester are one of the form teams in the league, so we know we will have to be as close to our best as possible to be in contention and get the result we want.”
South Conference runners up Garvey’s Tralee Warriors host UCD Marian and head coach John Dowling highlighted the dangers posed by their upcoming opponents. “It’s knockout basketball, the safety net is gone and that probably suits us. UCD Marian is as tough a draw we could have got. They’ve great Irish talent within their group, complemented by probably the most prolific scorer in the league in (Srdjan) Stojanovic and a top-class American in (Jonathan) Jean. I’m sure the Tralee fans will ensure that we have the 6th man with us throughout the contest.”
In the MissQuote.ie Champions Trophy, WIT Waterford Wildcats host Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics with Singleton SuperValu Brunell awaiting the winners in the semi-finals.
DCU Mercy, who finished 4th in the regular season, have home advantage over Killester, having completed the regular season double over Karl Kilbride’s side. Kilbride has labelled DCU Mercy as “favourites” ahead of the game."They’ll obviously be going in as big favourites, playing at home and having beaten us twice already this season. But we also know the best version of us is good enough to beat anyone, and we’ve shown that throughout the season."
A date with Super League champions The Address UCC Glanmire await the winners in the last four.
Tradehouse Central Ballincollig v Griffith College Templeogue, Ballincollig Community School 4pm; Killester v C&S Neptune, IWA, 5pm; Garvey’s Tralee Warriors v UCD Marian, Tralee Sports Complex, 7.30pm.
WIT Waterford Wildcats v Leixlip Amenities Liffey Celtics, Mercy SS Waterford, 6pm; DCU Mercy v Killester, DCU Arena, 2.30pm.
IT Carlow v Drogheda Wolves, The Barrow Centre, 1pm; Grand Hotel Malahide v Limerick Sport Eagles, Malahide Community School, 7pm; EJ Sligo All-Stars v Fr. Mathews, Mercy College, 7.30pm.
Griffith College Templeogue v Tipperary Knights, St. Michaels College, 6pm; Portlaoise Panthers v LYIT Donegal, St. Mary’s Hall, 7pm.
DBS Éanna v NUIG Maree, Coláiste Eanna, 2pm.
UCC Demons v Abbey Seals Dublin Lions, Mardyke Arena, 3pm
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