BASKETBALL: The two top teams in the country will meet in the cup quarter-finals after Killester were paired against the Tralee Tigers in yesterday's draw.

Despite being top of their respective northern and southern conferences, both sides have experienced turbulent times off the court, with Killester losing key American imports, while Tralee were beaten over the weekend by Ballina after their leading Irish players Kieran Donaghy and Michael Quirke placed a higher priority on their Gaelic football commitments.

The winners of this contest, scheduled to take place on January 2nd or 3rd, will become automatic favourites to go all the way.

Killester did keep well clear in the northern conference over the weekend with a convincing 87-73 victory over beleaguered Belfast club Star of the Sea to remain six points clear of St Vincent's, while the Tigers' lead down south was reduced to two by Ballina's free-scoring Irish-American axis of Ronan McGarrity and Lawrence Young, who accumulated 55 points between them in a 97-85 win.

The other quarter-final ties see cup champions in the previous two years, UCC Demons, face fellow students UCD, in Cork, after the Dublin side overcame Waterford in the qualifier section. Also coming through the back door were last year's runners-up, Neptune, who beat Shamrock Rovers 82-67 on Saturday. Their reward is a trip to Killarney to face the Lakers.

The draw is completed by the two second placed teams in each conference, St Vincent's and Limerick, who will meet in Dublin.

In the Superleague, the Demons beat St Vincent's 96-86 to move into a play-off spot while yesterday Limerick defeated Rovers.

CUP QUARTER-FINALS DRAW (to be played Jan 2nd and 3rd): Neptune v Killarney Lakers, UCC Demons v UCD, Killester v Tralee Tigers, St Vincent's v Limerick Lions