The opening weekend of matches in the new ESB-sponsored 14team men's Superleague produced six close, exciting games with only the defending champions Star of the Sea winning by a clear-cut margin in a 93-75 success over Tolka Rovers at Maysfield yesterday.
The Belfast club, under new coach Darren O'Neill, had a fairly easy time from the start against opponents who were very much hampered by the presence of just one foreign player in their squad.
Star's new American Ryan Howse (27 points) looked a very capable partner for last year's player of the season John Leahy (23) while Bosman signing Drew Moir (8) made a promising debut.
Last season's league runners-up and cup winners Notre Dame had a much tougher initiation but they still prevailed 85-80 against Dungannon at the National Arena on Saturday evening.
Notre Dame led 42-37 at halftime and looked to be in control in the third quarter but Dungannon closed the gap again to two points in the closing stages and nearly tied the game when Vic Pereira's shot bounced away from the rim in the last minute. It took three late free throws from Lenny McMillan to secure the victory for Notre Dame, whose player-coach Anthony Jenkins proved his match fitness by scoring 20 points in his first league game since last December.
The 1997 league champions Neptune, who had a dire 1998 season, got their new campaign under way with a close win (8985) over St Vincent's in Glasnevin yesterday.
Neptune scored a remarkable 30 points in the first quarter but St Vincent's came back strongly to take a 45-44 lead at half-time. It was basket for basket for much of the second half and the sides were only separated by four consecutive late free throws by Neptune's Niall O'Reilly.
Chris Doyal of St Vincent's was the top scorer in the game with 34 points, while Terry Smith (27) Shawn Wilson (26) and O'Reilly (16) led the Neptune scoresheet.
The surprise result of the weekend was Waterford's 85-81 success in overtime against the strong looking Killarney squad in Kerry on Saturday night.
Killarney held the edge until the final four minutes of normal time when two three-pointers by Waterford's American Roscoe Patterson helped bridge an eightpoint deficit to tie the teams at 69all. Patterson hit two more threepointers in over-time, one on the buzzer, to make sure of victory.
NBA hopeful Mitch Henderson was the MVP in Sligo's 62-59 home victory over Marian. In an otherwise poor game, Henderson's speed and outside shooting were effectively the matchwinning elements and his 31 points punished a below-form Marian whose Americans Rasuel McKune and Kevin Ellery each failed to get into double figures on the scoresheet.
Blue Demons learned a hard lesson in their first league game in more than five years on Saturday evening as they lost a big lead to go down 85-73 at home to Dubln Bay Vikings (formerly MSB).
In front of a crowd of 800 at Gurranabraher, the Cork side led by 22 points early in the second half and appeared to be cruising to victory. But once their American Duval Simmonds got into foul trouble, the inexperience of some of Demons' younger players was exposed.
Limerick's first game in the superleague drew their biggest ever crowd to the University gym where 600 watched a close game in which Killester hit three free throws in the final two minutes to secure a 90-86 victory.
In the women's superleague, the champions Wildcats, unbeaten through all of last season, had to come from behind to beat Tolka Rovers 80-71. The Dubliners led 44-42 at half-time.
Meteors won with ease in Sandyford 73-49 against Limerick with Karen Hennessy marking her return with a superb 25-point contribution.
Men's Superleague - Sligo 62, Marian 59; Notre Dame 85, Dungannon 80; Killarney 81, Waterford 85 (after over-time); Blue Demons 73, Dublin Bay Vikings 85; Limerick 86, Killester 90; Star of the Sea 93, Tolka Rovers 75; St Vincent's 85, Neptune 89.
Women's Superleague - Wildcats 80, Tolka Rovers 71; Meteors 73, Limerick 49.
