Hat-trick of derbies in store

BASKETBALL:In Basketball Ireland's constant struggle for oxygen in this country's sports-rich environment, one thing they cannot be criticised about is the structure of their flagship competition.

The Superleague throws up three enticing derbies in Kerry, Cork and Dublin over the next 48 hours.

There is a catch of course. The GAA holiday season has conspired against the Tralee Tigers providing their supporters with their main attractions for the arrival of St Paul's, as Kerry footballers Kieran Donaghy and Micheál Quirke are abroad on the annual team holiday for the All-Ireland champions.

"The Tigers are a great side and have plenty of talent across the court," said St Paul's coach Shane Horgan. "They can cope when some of their big stars are unavailable and it gives their fringe players a chance to shine.

"They will be well up for it as it is a local clash, but we have been in good form at the moment and are travelling to Tralee with confidence. We have to keep winning if we are to maintain our hopes of landing a play-off place at the end of the season."

Neptune will be hoping to avoid a third defeat to UCC Demons, and a second in a week, when they host their cross-city rivals on Sunday.

Shamrock Rovers Hoops will be keen to atone for last Wednesday's 84-67 defeat by Killester when they meet again tomorrow in Clontarf. The teams are also set to meet in the cup semi-final later this month.

"We have to go out and perform," said Hoops forward Jonathan Reed. "We just didn't do ourselves justice on Wednesday. We have a massive game in the cup against (them), but we are going to have to up our performance if we are to have any chance of making the final."

FIXTURES

SATURDAY: Men's Superleague: UU v DCU Saints, Valley Leisure Centre, 3.0; UCD/Marian v Belfast Star, UCD Sports Centre, 7.15; Limerick Lions v Ballina, UL Arena, 7.30; Killester v Hoops, IWA Clontarf, 8.0; Tralee Tigers v St Paul's, Tralee Sports Complex, 8.0. Women's Superleague: Montenotte Cork v Meteors, Little Island, 7.15; Waterford Wildcats v Killester, Mercy Convent, 7.30

SUNDAY: Men's Superleague: Neptune v UCC Demons, Neptune Stadium, 3.15; Women's Superleague: DCU Mercy v UL Aughinish, DCU, 3.30.