Courtyard Liffey Celtics are hoping that they've laid down a marker of things to come in recent weeks, as they go hunting for their fourth win in a row this coming weekend when they face an in-form Portlaoise Panthers in the women's Super League.
The Kildare side bounced back extremely well from their cup final defeat to Ambassador UCC Glanmire in January, overcoming NUIG Mystics, Glanmire and Pyrobel Killester in the weeks since that day in the National Basketball Arena, and head coach Mark Byrne is hoping they can keep that run going this weekend.
“Sometimes, you learn more and develop more from defeats,” he stated. “We’re really happy with three wins from three since the disappointment of that cup final defeat. We have Portlaoise next and they are going really well at the moment, so we’re expecting a tough game against them this weekend.”
Indeed, close clashes are expected throughout the women's Super League this weekend as the competition for final table standings heats up and the pressure is on Liffey Celtics to keep winning, as DCU Mercy are just behind them in third place. Mark Ingle's charges have a tough task ahead of them this weekend though, as they welcome league leaders Glanmire to DCU, but there's no doubt Mercy will be aiming to come out the right side of this result and games between these two teams have always proven to be thrillers.
Elsewhere, bottom of the table Meteors welcoming Maxol WIT Wildcats to Stillorgan, while Pyrobel Killester travel to Cork to face Singleton SuperValu Brunell on Sunday afternoon.
Men’s clashes
In the men’s Super League meanwhile, all eyes will be on Raheny side KUBS this weekend as they face Pyrobel Killester once more in the league in a game that’s set to be an absolute cracker, following KUBS’s shock two-point win (74-76) over Killester in Clontarf last Thursday. Playing at home this weekend, KUBS – who also ran league leaders
Templeogue
extremely close last Sunday afternoon – will be hoping they can do enough to secure back-to-back wins against a Killester team that will be hoping to avenge last week’s defeat. Tip off in Greendale is at 8pm on Saturday.
Another interesting clash pits third place UCD Marian against fourth place Garvey's Tralee Warriors at 7pm in UCD on Saturday evening, while Belfast Star will welcome DCU Saints, Griffith Swords Thunder will be hoping to take the points from their tie with SSE Airtricity Moycullen, while UCC Demons go head-to-head with Commercial.ie Éanna in Cork on Sunday.
It’s a clash of top versus bottom in Oblate Hall on Saturday evening, meanwhile, as Templeogue face off with Radisson Blu UL Eagles.
"We can't look any further ahead then UL this weekend," said head coach Mark Keenan. "We have that slender game advantage over Swords [in second place], so we have to just take it one game at a time now and try to keep that advantage."
