BASKETBALL: Ul Aughinish finally lost their astonishing two-year unbeaten record last weekend in the cruellest of fashions - but there is a silver lining.
Granted, they finally get on live television and under-perform and true, they would have preferred losing a regular Superleague match to the biggest game of the season but, honestly, something good did come from that final.
The future is promising as 16-year-old Rachel Clancy showed throughout National Cup weekend. Coming in with her team trailing 18-2 in the first quarter of Friday night's semi-final against Glanmire, she came off at half-time with just two points between the teams.
Then on Sunday, her job was to put a dent in the performance of Killester's Ashley Luke and kept her to zero for the 18 minutes she was on court.
If Clancy can emulate her shooting average at underage level - the best example being last summer's under-16 European championships when she finished fifth on the scorers list from 19 countries - UL will have a future to match the glories of the recent past.
Although it won't mean as much, UL will be hungry for some revenge tomorrow when Killester come to Limerick for the resumption of the Superleague - the one competition they can still win.
The men's Superleague also returns, with National Cup champions, the Tralee Tigers, facing second-placed UCC Demons tomorrow night. They then travel to Dublin on Sunday to take on Shamrock Rovers Hoops. Junior Cup winners Rovers' MVP Scott Kinevane and Ciarán White both make the step up to senior level.
Tralee may be without Micheál Quirke and Kieran Donaghy for one of their games over the weekend, as they are involved with the Kerry team tonight, in the NFL opener against Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn.
Neptune also have a busy weekend ahead, playing Waterford tomorrow and St Vincent's on Sunday. Ballina won't have Ronan McGarrity as he lines out in midfield for Mayo against Dublin on Saturday night in Parnell Park.
SATURDAY - Men's Superleague: Waterford v Neptune, Waterford IT, 7.30; Tralee Tigers v UCC Demons, Tralee SC, 8.00; Star of the Sea v Ballina, UU Jordanstown, 7.15; UCD v Killester, Belfield SC, 7.30. SUNDAY - Men's Superleague: Neptune v St Vincent's, Neptune Stadium, 3.00; Shamrock Rovers Hoops v Tralee Tigers, ESB Arena, 3.15. Woman's Superleague: Ul Aughinish v Killester, Ul, 7.00; St Paul's v Glanmire, Presentation, 7.30; Waterford Wildcats v Drimnagh Dynamos, Mercy Waterford, 7.30.
