Talking points: Ballincollig seal top spot but expect play-off challenges from Killester and Belfast Star
Latrell Jossell reacts after scoring a super three-pointer for Ballincollig. Pic: Larry Cummins
Ireland’s hopes of getting to the second qualifying round of the 2027 Eurobasket Qualifiers are still alive thanks to a dramatic 81-78 win in Bosnia.
Trailing by 10 points going into the fourth quarter, a seven-point spark from Sorcha Tiernan off the bench helped Ireland come from behind to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second time in this campaign.
Having lost to Luxembourg on Friday, hopes were hanging by a thread but this win over a team ranked 29th (54 places ahead of Ireland) means that the campaign now goes to the final game against Israel.
Ireland pushed Israel close in the first game between the teams, but the undefeated Israeli’s have had very little challenge in this window and Ireland will need a St Patrick’s Day to remember to progress through.
Ballincollig have added to their cup win, with the best regular season record after beating Belfast Star in double overtime 112-103.
In a game that showcased why the two teams are amongst three likely contenders for the league title (alongside Killester), it was ultimately Latrell Jossell’s scoring ability that separated the two teams as he outscored Star in double overtime scoring 11 of his game high 35 points.
It’s the third time this year that Ballincollig have beaten Star, all in close-fought games. Belfast will take solace in knowing they are right there with the league favourites, especially with Rap Buivydas only scoring one field goal in 33 minutes on the way back from an injury he picked up on Irish duty.
If the team’s meet for a fourth time this year, it will be in a league final in the Arena and could well be another cracker.
Neptune’s efforts took some more twists and turns on Saturday as they came from 17 down to beat UCD Marian in Neptune Stadium.
The Cork side looked in real danger in the first half when they were guilty of poor defense, as Marian built a big lead, but they improved throughout the second half and used a big fourth quarter to eventually draw level and get to overtime.
Any Killorglin fan watching will feel that Neptune came back from the dead more than once, especially given how the game ended in regulation.
Trailing by six, Neptune hit a three and then had to get a stop for a chance to tie the game. Marian got a wide open three, which they missed, and then an offensive rebound.
Any statistician would have had Neptune’s chances at winning at minuscule odds, but Marian turned it over and Neptune somehow hit a three on the buzzer to send the game to overtime. It was the type of play, which suggests the basketball gods might be on Neptune’s side as they try to stay in the Super League.
Neptune now need one more miracle, which will be in Eanna on Monday when they resume action in a game, they trail 22-4 after 10 minutes. Both teams have to play with the lineups they had a few weeks ago, so we won’t see Roy Downey or Jaylyn Richardson in action there.
A win for Neptune will see them survive against all odds.
If Neptune don’t win on Monday, we will have a two-team playoff that will decide relegation. Killorglin needed to beat Limerick Celtics away on Saturday and they did that 91-85 after an excellent display that saw them lead by 21.
Killorglin have had some heartbreaking losses recently, but they will likely have one more shot to save their Super League lives if Neptune don’t do the improbable.
The last time the two teams met, Killorglin hit a three in the final seconds to win the game, so a top-quality battle is on the cards again.
The results on Saturday meant that Demons had to beat Vincents on Sunday to make sure they weren’t dragged into a three-way tie at the bottom.
After a slow start, Demons had no issues winning 100-73.
It will be a relief for Demons, who struggled this season after winning the title last year. Demons' struggles highlights just how strong their professionals were last year.
Patrick Robinson, who had 35 in last year’s final, is in contention to be MVP of the British Super League, a considerable step up from our league, while Elijah Tillman was one of the most dominant forces in the league for many years.
Getting the professionals right next year will steady the ship for Demons, who still have plenty of young Irish talent.
Killester beat Sligo All Stars 100-79 in a game that was over as a contest after the first quarter as Killester scored 42 points and led by 18. Killester have had a strange season in many ways.
They are only one game off Ballincollig, and yet they also don’t feel like a team who have hit the heights we expect out of them. They have experienced players who are primed for the playoffs though and might be the toughest opponent for Ballincollig based purely on matchups.
It’s worth remembering that Killester have only lost twice in the league this year when they’ve had Robert Braswell, Paul Dick and Josh Wilson all on the floor together.
They are prone to cold shooting days, but their defence is usually exceptional and given their experience and a home court route to the final, I can see a clear route for them to get back to the Arena for a league final.
With all of the key games now played the playoffs are set with Ballincollig set to host Limerick Celtics, Killester hosting Vincents, Star welcoming UCD Marian and Eanna hosting Tralee.
This year’s league has been a two-tier league with only four of the 12 sides finishing with a winning record. I don’t think the intrigue is there for the first round of the playoffs as it was last year, and outside of the potential of Tralee testing Eanna, we should have the top seeds go through with limited challenge.
All indications at the moment are that the league title runs through Ballincollig with Killester and Star the most capable of challenging them, and Killester in particular have the experience to do it.
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