TRALEE went top of the table and are now clear favourites to win the basketball title after ending Star of the Sea's seven-match winning streak in the Budweiser-sponsored Superleague with a convincing victory at the Maysfield Centre in Belfast yesterday.

The Kerry side were clearly better in a 97-72 victory in which Ricardo Leonard scored 28 points while his American partner Nigel Palmer ended up on 27.

The dramatic slump which has hit Star of the Sea in the last week can be traced in part to a lingering knee injury to their 32 year old American Javan Dupree. His meagre contribution of six points in the cup final defeat by Ballina eight days ago was followed by just eight points yesterday.

Although Gabe Jackson scored 27 and, battled away at what, seemed like a lost cause, any small remaining hopes that Star of the Sea had of mounting a late comeback were quashed by an ankle injury to Gareth McGuire with three minutes left. The Irish international forward had to be taken to hospital where an X-ray revealed no serious damage.

The end of Star of the Sea's three months winning streak in league action could also spell the end of their title challenge. Of their six remaining games, five are away from home and, even if they finish level on points with Tralee at the end of the campaign, they would lose the trophy on countback to the Kerrymen who have beaten the Belfast side in both of their league encounters.

Tralee have a much easier roster in their last five matches, all of which are against teams currently outside the top four in the table. In addition, four of their five remaining games are on their home court.

A further boost to Tralee's cause was the defeat of third placed St Vincent's yesterday in a close home game in Glasnevin against Neptune. It was tied at 107 each at the buzzer before the Corkmen clinched the narrowest of victories in overtime, 117-116 with two free throws from Stephen McCarthy. Gareth Winders had a chance to steal it for the Dubliners but missed a lay-up with 15 seconds to go.

St Vincent's American Rob Phelps was disqualified from the game midway through the second half after a tussle with Neptune's Malcolm Thompson but the respective player strengths were evened out on court when Neptune's Jobaar Jones was fouled out a couple of minutes later.