Basketball: Such is the erratic nature of the Superleague, it is perilous to write off a team that will probably reach the play-offs, but Tralee are a shadow of the outfit that, spearheaded by the El Paso pairing of Chris Craig and Roy Smallwood, dominated so many games last season.

They Kerry club lost to Killester on Saturday, albeit in Dublin, proving their imports "signed" to replace the Craig/Smallwood partnership is clearly not of the same standard. Killester's Serbian Branislav Tomic dominated the contest with 28 points and 18 rebounds.

The result is a further indication of the backward step taken by the Tigers when one considers Killester were unable to get past Shamrock Rovers Hoops in midweek, going down 68 to 65 in Greendale.

The Hoops will be encouraged by that victory but any chance of silverware this season disappeared on Saturday night, when they were knocked out of the cup by Star of the Sea in Jordanstown. The contrast, as usual being the imports, as Reuben Statum got into foul trouble, allowing Dave Langrell to dominate.

The Ulster club proceed to the quarter-final, where they will face Killester in two weeks' time.

However, Star's weekend was ruined yesterday when they were soundly beaten in the Superleague by the UCC Demons. English guard Scott Summersgill sustained an injury in the cup match so was unavailable.

The result keeps the Demons at the top of the Southern Conference alongside Limerick, who overpowered Neptune 100 to 79. Neptune remain bottom of the league, alongside the Killarney Lakers, after losing at home to Ballina. Ronan McGarrity finished with 22 points for the Mayo club.

Elsewhere, the Lakers travelled to UCD Marian and recorded only their third win of the season. That result leaves St Vincent's and Ballina six points clear of three teams in the lop-sided Southern Conference. Star remain bottom with just one victory.