Tillman return tips the balance as Demons put on a show

Demons celebrate victory over Éanna at the Mardyke

The Mardyke Arena was lifting with the return of UCC Demons, and the fans received a real show, as the Cork side ran away 100-83 winners against Griffith College Éanna in the Domino's Men's Super League. 

The return of Elijah ‘Baby Shaq’ Tillman was a major boost for Demons, as he notched up 34 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in all-round performance. Griffith College Éanna couldn't keep up with Stuart Rodgers’ men, as Demons took the lead after three minutes, and remained on top for the rest of the contest.

On Saturday, new signing Jay Buckley opened his Ballincollig account in style with 23 points in a 70-28 road win over Limerick Celtics in their opener. Though Celtics’ Peter Turay stole the show, with his 16 points and 17 rebounds. 

Ballincollig took a seven-point lead in the first quarter, a deficit that was too large for the home side to crawl back from, as they continued to maintain the lead all the way to the final seconds.

Limerick Celtics’ looked to have Ballincollig on the ropes in the final quarter, as they outscored the previous Domino’s MSL winners by 19-12, but Alejandro Bellver’s three-pointer and Buckley’s converted free throw sent Ballincollig over the line.

Limerick Eagles took the largest win on the weekend in their return to the top division, beating St. Vincent’s in Dublin 78-117. Darragh Horkan made a name for himself in Glasnevin, racking up 20 points, three assists and three steals, but it was Alex Carlisle who tipped the scales for the Eagles, scoring 35 points.

Belfast Star let a win slip through their fingers against Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. After trailing by 18 points at the end of the first quarter, Warriors flipped the script to win 82-73 in the Kerry Sports Academy. A third quarter fightback from Tralee helped them outscore Star by 28-5. Daniel Jokubaitis led the charge for the home side, scoring 11 points and getting two steals in the third quarter.

Shane Bell’s return to the court came with a double-double performance, getting 12 points and rebounds, although it was Jaden Daughtry’s 26 points that got the crowd off their feet in Kerry.

UCD Marian got back to winning ways, executing a 105-93 win against Energywise Ireland Neptune. The Dublin side strode to a 20-point lead in the first half, but Neptune hit the ground running in the second half to reduce the deficit to nine. UCD’s Isaiah Taylor and Liam Kinsella sealed the game in the final quarter, as they combined for 16 points and guided their side to a 12-point win.

Killester escaped with a four-point win against EJ Sligo All-Stars in their opening fixture, defying a fourth quarter surge from the Connacht men. 

In Sunday's Domino's Women's Super League clash, SETU Waterford Wildcats overcame Gurranabraher Credit Union Brunell by 90-77.

The Wildcats played fearless basketball, with new signing Brooklyn Gray scoring 30 points and grabbing ten rebounds, while Irish international Sarah Hickey scored 29 points with ten rebounds. The away side took a 14-point lead by half-time and never eased off for the remaining 30 minutes.

Kelly Sexton had an almost flawless game for Brunell, going 5/6 from two-point range and 3/3 for three-pointers. SETU Waterford Wildcats will host Killester next week at Mercy College, while Brunell take a trip over the border to face Limerick Celtics.