The ugly scuffles that followed last Sunday's Superleague clash between Star of the Sea and Neptune at the Maysfield Centre in Belfast are unlikely to be reviewed by the National Competitions Committee of the IBA until the New Year.
The fighting, which broke out in the corridor near the dressingrooms soon after the finish of a niggly encounter, poses a number of difficulties for the IBA who have yet to receive the report of the referees and commissioner.
In particular, the association have to determine what jurisdiction they have over events which do not fall within the time limits of a game.
In the distinct possibility that they will not get a conclusive report on the incident from the match officials, a great deal will be determined by the reaction of both clubs to an imminent request from the association for an account of what happened.
Both clubs are in action again this weekend but in different competitions. Star of the Sea, who have never won the Sprite Cup after numerous near misses, have an extremely tough encounter away to Waterford while Neptune are involved in a league game away to Marian.
The duel of Star and Waterford is the prime tie of the cup quarterfinals as they occupy first and second place respectively in the league table at present. In addition, they met barely a fortnight ago in the league on the same court where Star won well with a terrific second-half performance.
Waterford, though, bounced back last weekend to rekindle their fine early season form with a very impressive win over close title rivals Killester and so they enter the tie tomorrow night in a good frame of mind. Both squads are unchanged and a close match is expected.
In another quarter-final, cup-holders Notre Dame have to visit Tralee where the local team, who were league champions in 1996, are currently playing in the regional Division One league. In spite of their lower status, the Kerry club have focused on this cup tie as a means of proving that they are ready to return to the Superleague.
Notre Dame are still likely to get through though, especially after their 95-50 destruction of struggling Tolka Rovers last Friday night showed that they have come into something close to their best form. Blue Demons are another club to find good form at the right time and they will be strongly favoured to win well at home to Tolka in the quarterfinal tomorrow. The cup has major significance for Demons after their memorable duels with Neptune in the 1980s and the competition seems to offer the best chance for the Cork club to win a major trophy in their first season back in top flight basketball in over five years.
The fourth quarter-final between Limerick and St Vincent's takes place on Sunday and is a repeat of last weekend's league game between the clubs. Limerick's surprise victory in that fixture is likely to induce a backlash from the very proud St Vincent's club who, like Demons, will view the cup as their best chance of winning a major trophy this season.
While many of the top Superleague teams are on cup duty this weekend, Killester can take their opportunity to join Star of the Sea on top of the table if they win their game in hand tomorrow at home to Sligo. The north-western club have lost their American Mitch Henderson, but they hope to have Zairean Luteka Valombo cleared to play against the Dubliners.
That game tomorrow in Clontarf will be preceded by the closest looking of the women's cup quarterfinals between Limerick and Killester.
Wildcats should have no difficulties in progressing to the semi-finals as they visit non-national league side Sligo while Tolka should be much too strong for Castlebar.
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