UCD facing major task

Basketball Round-up: Tomorrow's National Cup quarter-finals come at a crucial time for UCD. Earlier this week they released head coach Mark Keenan after a succession of poor results. Former player Pat Glover stepped into the breach.

Ballina's key foreigner last season, Elijah Warren, starts alongside Ireland international Lorcan Precious as College seek to overcome the in-form Limerick in Limerick.

There is a glimmer of hope as the hosts are without their Bosman signing Adrian Walshe.

The bumper game of the weekend is the trip of league champions UCC Demons to Tralee to face the Tigers.

Tralee introduce 6ft 7in, 20st American Tommie Eddie to cup action as they seek to turn around a disappointing season.

Last year under player-coach Chris Craig they won the knockout competition, but the University of El Paso, Texas, graduate has returned home.

Ironically enough, Craig was recognised for his contributions last January at the Philips awards in Dublin yesterday.

In his absence, Superleague manager Karl Donnelly collected the prize, although Donnelly had to note that his club, St Vincent's, was on the receiving end of Craig's prowess in the 2005 cup final.

The other quarter-finals see Star of the Sea go to Greendale to face Killester, part of a double header kicked off by the Women's cup, while Ballina must beat Killarney down in Kerry to progress to the last four.

Star have struggled all season but the return of Adrian Fulton to their squad and Scott Summersgill's expected recovery from injury may lay the foundation for a shock result.

In the women's cup, Mercy play Meteors tonight in Mount Temple. Tomorrow the Wildcats host St Paul's and Killester play Glanmire. On Sunday the Dynamos meet UL/Aughinish.

FIXTURES

Today: Women's Superleague National Cup quarter-final - Mercy v Meteors, Mount Temple, 8.0. Tomorrow: Men's Superleague National Cup quarter-finals - Killester v Star, Greendale, 8.0; Killarney Lakers v Ballina, INEC, 8.0; Tralee Tigers v UCC Demons, Tralee SC, 8.0; Limerick v UCD, UL Arena, 7.30. Women's Superleague National Cup quarter-finals - Wildcats v St Paul's, Mercy Gym, 7.30; Killester v Glanmire, Greendale, 6.0. Sunday: Women's Superleague National Cup quarter-final - Dynamos V UL Aughinish, Oblate Hall, 3.30.