FIBA Basketball
IRL - Can anyone stop the Demons?
DUBLIN (Nivea SuperLeague) - UCC Demons will make their final push to achieve the elusive Irish basketball "Double " this weekend, as they kick off the first of the two NIVEA for Men SuperLeague Championship Semifinals
DUBLIN (Nivea SuperLeague) - UCC Demons will make their final push to achieve the elusive Irish basketball "Double " this weekend, as they kick off the first of the two NIVEA for Men SuperLeague Championship Semifinals at the Mardyke Arena on Saturday (tip-off: 2.30pm).
As defending SuperLeague champions and current Cup holders, the quest for more silverware has been all the tougher with recent injuries to prominent players, Michael Doles and David Murphy. With both expected to be passed fit for the clash, the excitement is building in Cork for a chance at the finest season in club history.
Standing in the way will be regular playoff contenders Roma St. Vincent's, whose local players sent the surging Gleneagle Lakers packing in last weekends quarterfinals. Led by David Donnelly and timely three's from brother James and Eoin Darling, the Glasnevin men may enter the game as underdogs but will relish the tag.
The athletic Jermaine Turner and Kenny McFarland will pose challenges from the wings, and their match-ups with Demons forwards James Whyte and Doles will be intriguing.
It is a daunting task for Roma to go to Cork and topple the mighty Demons, but captain Dave Donnelly believes that a little composure on their part will do them good. "We know we can hold our own against them, based on our last game against them where we led for most of the first half. What we need to do is not allow them to establish a lead because that would be very hard to claw back when they are on their home court".
For the Cork side, experience and defense will be the two focal points of the weekend. Between Tim O'Halloran, Shane Coughlan and Niall O'Reilly, the lessons learned in 3 Cup titles and last years Superleague title will be counted upon from the veterans. The capacity crowd that awaits may be pro-Demons, but the game should be a cracker.
Limerick Lions will come head to head with Merry Monk Ballina in the second of the NIVEA for Men's SuperLeague Semi-Final in Cork this Saturday (tip-off: 4.30pm). Limerick have been in and out of form recently and will be planning to keep their momentum at the level they finished against Killester in the quarterfinal last weekend.
In that game, Limerick started slowly and only got into a rhythm in the last 15 minutes of the game. In the upcoming semi-final Limerick will be working to start the game as they finished last week and get into a high tempo from the off.
In their last meeting in a cross conference game last October Limerick emerged winners by a few points in a very close game.
Limerick will again require a full team performance led by the American players and supported by the Irish players in order to get a result. Their game plan will be a mix of high intensity defence and taking a good percentage of their own scoring opportunities. If Limerick defend well and dominate their own boards, that will then provide them with the platform to get a win and go forward to the League Final on the Sunday.
On the opponent's side, coach Terry Kennedy is hoping for a big performance from his team and believes that if they play as well as they are capable of, they can overcome Limerick and make it to the final where he would relish another crack at UCC Demons, (provided they beat St. Vincent's), having lost to the Cork side in Cup semi-finals both this year and two years ago.
However, Kennedy is looking only to Saturday in the first instance and hopes that big performances from his top Irish players, Ronan McGarrity and Paul Freeman, together with quality displays by imports Patrick Pope, Evan Pelleran and Dan Zapior will see his side make it to Sunday's final.
As defending SuperLeague champions and current Cup holders, the quest for more silverware has been all the tougher with recent injuries to prominent players, Michael Doles and David Murphy. With both expected to be passed fit for the clash, the excitement is building in Cork for a chance at the finest season in club history.
Standing in the way will be regular playoff contenders Roma St. Vincent's, whose local players sent the surging Gleneagle Lakers packing in last weekends quarterfinals. Led by David Donnelly and timely three's from brother James and Eoin Darling, the Glasnevin men may enter the game as underdogs but will relish the tag.
The athletic Jermaine Turner and Kenny McFarland will pose challenges from the wings, and their match-ups with Demons forwards James Whyte and Doles will be intriguing.
It is a daunting task for Roma to go to Cork and topple the mighty Demons, but captain Dave Donnelly believes that a little composure on their part will do them good. "We know we can hold our own against them, based on our last game against them where we led for most of the first half. What we need to do is not allow them to establish a lead because that would be very hard to claw back when they are on their home court".
For the Cork side, experience and defense will be the two focal points of the weekend. Between Tim O'Halloran, Shane Coughlan and Niall O'Reilly, the lessons learned in 3 Cup titles and last years Superleague title will be counted upon from the veterans. The capacity crowd that awaits may be pro-Demons, but the game should be a cracker.
Limerick Lions will come head to head with Merry Monk Ballina in the second of the NIVEA for Men's SuperLeague Semi-Final in Cork this Saturday (tip-off: 4.30pm). Limerick have been in and out of form recently and will be planning to keep their momentum at the level they finished against Killester in the quarterfinal last weekend.
In that game, Limerick started slowly and only got into a rhythm in the last 15 minutes of the game. In the upcoming semi-final Limerick will be working to start the game as they finished last week and get into a high tempo from the off.
In their last meeting in a cross conference game last October Limerick emerged winners by a few points in a very close game.
Limerick will again require a full team performance led by the American players and supported by the Irish players in order to get a result. Their game plan will be a mix of high intensity defence and taking a good percentage of their own scoring opportunities. If Limerick defend well and dominate their own boards, that will then provide them with the platform to get a win and go forward to the League Final on the Sunday.
On the opponent's side, coach Terry Kennedy is hoping for a big performance from his team and believes that if they play as well as they are capable of, they can overcome Limerick and make it to the final where he would relish another crack at UCC Demons, (provided they beat St. Vincent's), having lost to the Cork side in Cup semi-finals both this year and two years ago.
However, Kennedy is looking only to Saturday in the first instance and hopes that big performances from his top Irish players, Ronan McGarrity and Paul Freeman, together with quality displays by imports Patrick Pope, Evan Pelleran and Dan Zapior will see his side make it to Sunday's final.