JUST a week before they attempt to successfully defend the Sprite women's cup, Meteors suffered a shock league 80-89 defeat at Griffith Avenue yesterday against the team they face in the cup semi-final next Friday.
Tolka Rovers had gone very close to defeating Meteors in midweek in the Dublin league and, with that performance fresh in their minds, they proceeded to take a 43-38 lead at half-time yesterday. That scoreline would not have unduly alarmed Meteors, as so often in games of high importance Tolka flatter to deceive.
Instead of losing concentration or falling away, Tolka actually improved on their advantage in the third quarter, with sisters Rachel and Sharon Kelly providing a stream of baskets to hold off their opponents.
Rachel Kelly scored a game-high of 34 points, none of which came from outside the three-point line. Her driving and close-mange shooting was a constant threat to Meteors, for whom Karen Hennessy scored 30 points.
The result severely dents Meteors chances of winning the league as both Wildcats and Naomh Mhuire can overtake Joe Kavanagh's side if they win their games in hand. Wildcats were in unstoppable form on Saturday as they easily defeated MSB 84-34.
In the Budweiser Men's Superleague, both Neptune and Star of the Sea won narrowly over the weekend to remain joint leaders, well clear of their pursuers.
After losing their 100 per cent record last week, Neptune looked vulnerable again on Saturday before grinding out a morale-boosting 96-91 victory over Killester at the packed Irish Wheelchair Centre in Clontarf.
In a match which went basket for basket virtually right through to the closing stages, the teams were tied at 50-all at the interval. In a good third quarter, Killester went six points clear when Damien Sealey hit a three-pointer eight minutes after the restart.
Neptune then hit a run of seven straight points to go 73-72 in front and the match continued basket for basket until a Ger Heaphy three-pointer edged Neptune 91-85 ahead entering the final minute. Then it came down to fouls and free throws. Killester hit four from the line to bring the score back to 91-89 but at the other end, Terry Strickland put the game out of the Dubliners' reach with four throws of his own to ensure a narrow success.
Mario Mullen was voted the MVP in the game after contributing 37 points to Neptune's win.
Star of the Sea were under almost as much pressure in their home game against St Paul's, Killarney yesterday in Belfast and only got the better of the Kerrymen in the final four minutes to win 98-89.
Killarney led 31-23 midway through the first half with their Americans Nick Browning and Corey Jackson proving to be the best players on court in that period. However, Star pegged the deficit back to 46-48 at the break and then took the lead straight from the restart through a Scottie Summersgill three-pointer.
The sides went basket for basket throughout the second half until Star led 84-81 with four minutes to go. By then foul trouble began to severely curtail Killarney and Star's American, John Leahy, redeemed an otherwise quiet game by coming into his own in those last crucial few minutes to hit some key baskets and free throws to put his side 94-84 ahead entering the final minute. From there on, Star's victory was never in doubt.
Leahy was the highest scorer in the game on 28 points, with 16 of them coming in the second half and eight in all from the free-throw line.
There was one surprise result in Division One as the MSB dream team lost for the second week in a row. Fellow title challengers Dungannon defeated the Dubliners 86-83 with a Derek Freeman lay-up in the final seconds
