It’s the quarter final stages of the Hula Hoops Men’s Pat Duffy National Cup this weekend, with eight teams battling it out in a bid to secure a spot in January’s semi-finals.
The battle is all the more interesting as a new winner is set to be crowned this year after reigning champions, Griffith College Swords Thunder, were knocked out in the opening round by underdogs, DCU Saints. DCU now go on to contest a quarter-final contest with table toppers UCD Marian this weekend, and will have a tough task in hand as UCD came out the better of their recent league clash.
Marian head coach, Ioannis Liapakis is under no illusions that this will be a tough game though, particularly given DCU’s recent Cup form.
“We need to pause the marathon of the League now and focus on the sprint,” he said. “We know it’s a game without a tomorrow, and DCU Saints did an amazing job in the Cup so far, they beat Swords Thunder away, so for us, it’s going to be really difficult.”
Black Amber Templeogue meanwhile will host Éanna on Saturday evening in what is set to be another very close quarter-final battle. Éanna have already upset last year’s League champions this season with a big win at Colaiste Éanna.
"The Cup is hugely important to us, and we really want to perform well and get the result,” said Templeogue’s Jason Killeen. “Éanna will be a tough test - they've already proven that this year when we lost to them out in Éanna, so we won't be taking anything for granted. We're hoping that we will perform the way we know we can and that, along with having the home crowd behind us, will hopefully get us over the line and into a Cup semi-final."
Elsewhere, last year’s Cup finalists Pyrobel Killester will make the trip down to Moycullen in Co. Galway for a Sunday afternoon game. Moycullen came out on top the last time these two sides met in Dublin, and Killester’s Brian O’Malley knows this weekend will be a big challenge.
“Moycullen already got the better of us in the IWA,” he said. “Everybody knows the joy of the Cup – the different atmosphere and the different intensity that it brings. We’ll have to be massively up for it, because Moycullen at home, coached by John, is an excellent team.”
The final quarter-final between UCC Demons and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors will take place next Wednesday, December 13th at Parochial Hall in Cork. This is also set to be a very close game, as the sides have already met twice this year and have one win apiece.
It’s regular Super League action in the Women’s league meanwhile, with some interesting battles in store. NUIG Mystics will welcome DCU Mercy on Saturday in what is set to be an interesting affair as the two sides will also meet each other in the Hula Hoops Women’s National Cup semi-finals in January following wins over Portlaoise Panthers and Courtyard Liffey Celtics respectively last weekend.
Maxol WIT Wildcats will travel to Upper Glanmire to face Ambassador UCC Glanmire, while Pyrobel Killester will be aiming to keep their unbeaten home record intact as they host Singleton SuperValu Brunell. The final game of the weekend will see Courtyard Liffey Celtics battle it out with IT Carlow Basketball.
The Basketball Ireland Players and Coaches of the Month for November were also announced this week. It was a double win for UCD Marian in the Men’s Super League as head coach Ioannis Liapakis and player Mike Garrow picked up the Coach and Player of the Month awards. In the Women’s Super League meanwhile, DCU Mercy player Tiffany Corselli scooped the Player of the Month award, with Pyrobel Killester’s Karl Kilbride winning the Coach of the Month after an unbeaten run in November.
In the Men’s Division One, Ballincollig head coach Kieran O’Sullivan secured the Coach of the Month award after a brilliant winning run in November, while Fr Mathews’ player Marcus Thomas scooped the Player of the Month award. It was a double win for Fr Mathews in the Women’s Division One, with head coach James Fleming and player Niamh Dwyer winning the Coach and Player of the Month awards.
Basketball Ireland Fixtures: December 9-13th
Saturday, 9th December 2017
Hula Hoops Men’s Pat Duffy National Cup Quarter Final:
DCU Saints v UCD Marian, DCU, 19:00;
Black Amber Templeogue v Éanna, Oblates, 20:00;
Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League:
Maree v Belfast Star, CC-Oranmore, 19:45;
Basketball Ireland Women’s Super League:
NUIG Mystics v DCU Mercy, Colaiste Iognaid, 15:00;
Ambassador UCC Glanmire v Maxol WIT Wildcats, Upper Glanmire Sports Centre, 17:00;
Pyrobel Killester v Singleton SuperValu Brunell, IWA-Clontarf, 18:00;
Courtyard Liffey Celtics v IT Carlow Basketball, Leixlip Amenities Centre, 19:30;
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One:
IT Carlow Basketball v Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney, Barrow Centre-IT Carlow, 12:30;
Ballincollig v Portlaoise Panthers, Ballincollig CS, 16:00;
Ulster University Elks v Neptune, Methodist College, 16:30;
Paris Texas Kilkenny v LIT Celtics, O Loughlin Gaels Gym, 17:00;
Titans v Keane’s SuperValu Killorglin, The Jes, 19.00;
Fr Mathews v Dublin Lions, Colaiste Chriost Ri, 19:15;
Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One:
Marble City Hawks v Fabplus North West, O Loughlins GAA, 15:00;
Fr Mathews v Meteors, Colaiste Chriost Ri, 16:00;
Sunday, 10th December 2017
Hula Hoops Men’s Pat Duffy National Cup Quarter Final:
Moycullen v Pyrobel Killester, The Jes, 15:30;
Basketball Ireland Men’s Division One:
Dublin Lions v IT Carlow Basketball, Colaiste Bride, 14:00;
LIT Celtics v Fr Mathews, St Munchins, 14:30;
Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin v Ballincollig, Killorglin Sports Centre, 15:00;
Scotts Lakers St Paul’s Killarney v EJ Sligo All-Stars, Killarney Sports Centre, 15:00;
Portlaoise Panthers v Ulster University Elks, St Mary’s Sports Hall, 15:00;
Basketball Ireland Women’s Division One:
Fr Mathews v Fabplus North West, Colaiste Chriost Ri, 14:45;
Wednesday, 13th December 2017
Hula Hoops Men’s Pat Duffy National Cup Quarter Final:
UCC Demons v Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, Parochial Hall, 20:00;
