Limerick keep league hopes alive

Basketball: Limerick got in the ideal preparation ahead of next Sunday's National Cup final against the UCC Demons by squeezing past a rejuvenated Neptune to maintain their interest in the Superleague.

Trailing by 10 points in the fourth quarter, Limerick turned matters around with Ricardo Leonard securing victory with accurate free-throw shooting. The result was 91-89.

Killester won twice over the weekend to keep their push for the play-offs on track. They beat Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers Hoops (74-63) and St Vincent's (79-75), while the other competitors for one of the two northern conference play-off spots, Ballina, overcame UCD 89-80.

St Vincent's now lie third, two points behind Killester and Ballina but they hold two and one games in hand respectively.

Meanwhile, on Friday the best players in Irish basketball are on view at the National Arena as the first All-Star Superleague fixture since 1991 takes place on the eve of the cup finals. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), to aid their work on Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) syndrome amongst young people in Ireland.

Irish basketball has lost two players in recent years to SCD.

The All-Star clash will see the Superleague's north conference take on their south conference rivals.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE: Jermaine Turner (St Vincent's), Branislav Tomic (Killester), Evan Pellerin, Patrick Pope (both Ballina), Dave Langrell, Scott Summersgill (both Star of the Sea), Damien Sealy, Kieran O'Brien (both Killester), Barry Lover (UCD), David Donnelly (St Vincent's), Ciarán White (Shamrock Rovers Hoops), Ronan McGarrity (Ballina), Emmet Donnelly (St Vincent's), Scott Kinevane (Shamrock Rovers Hoops).

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE: Michael Doles (UCC Demons), Justin Wingard (Killarney Lakers), Robert Taylor, Jon Stevens (both Limerick Lions), Luke O'Shea (Tralee Tigers), Tim Sullivan (Killarney Lakers), Kieran Donaghy (Tralee Tigers), Colin O'Reilly (UCC Demons), Ger Noonan (Neptune), Robert Lynch (Limerick Lions), Eoin O'Brien (Killarney Lakers), Niall O'Reilly, Shane Coughlan (both UCC Demons), Neil Campbell (Limerick Lions).