Killester's run comes to an end

Basketball/Weekend round-up: The last unbeaten record in the Superleague went over the weekend when the leaders in the southern conference, the Tralee Tigers, beat the top northern side, Killester, in Kerry.

An excellent performance from Roy Smallwood, for the Tigers, combined with the absence of Killester's point guard Colin Tabb, who walked out on the club to attend trials with ABA team Boston Frenzy last week, proved too much for the Dublin club.

Killester's reliance on Tabb was patently obvious during their eight game hot streak as they crashed to a 21-point defeat to last year's champions, who must now be installed as favourites to retain their title in 2005.

The student factions of UCC Demons and UCD both continued their recent rich veins of form with the Cork students condemning Star of the Sea to a second defeat of the weekend, while UCD outclassed Ballina.

The nightmare continues for the men of the west who are in the kind of rut that requires an injection of player personnel before things can be turned around.

Elsewhere, Shamrock Rovers Hoops made it seven defeats from seven but it's not all doom and gloom out in Tallaght. Only a late revival from Neptune down in Cork on Saturday saw them prevail.

Coach Ken Black and veteran Lennie McMillian returned to Neptune Stadium, the scene of many former triumphs, but after leading 55-53 thanks to the scoring prowess of Jackson Bain they eventually faltered.

In the all southern conference match Limerick won in Waterford.

In the women's Superleague UL Aughinish's unbeaten run that stretches back almost two years came agonisingly close to ending but the Waterford Wildcats, their chief rivals in that time, were just edged out.