THE long-awaited second league meeting of joint leaders Star of the Sea and Neptune on Sunday in Belfast will possibly determine which side will win the title even though there is still a month left in the campaign.

Realistically, there are no other contenders. Both teams are locked together at the top, well clear of third placed St Vincent's, each having suffered just one defeat in their 13 outings so far.

Enough has changed since Star's 10-point defeat in Cork in early November to allow coach Danny Fulton to believe that they can exact revenge and take over at the top on their own. In that game, they were significantly handicapped by the absence of a second American having cut Jason Senik in the days before the trip to the Neptune Stadium.

Since then though, the decision was vindicated as Senik's replacement John Leahy has established himself as one of the finest Americans in the country.

While Star have gained a key player since that November defeat, Neptune have just this week lost one as Gordon Fitzgerald, who scored 20 points in the win over Delta last Saturday, will probably be out for the remainder of the season having undergone a hernia operation on Wednesday.

Star have one injury worry concerning Irish intemational forward Gareth McGuire who was unable to train in the early part of the week with a back strain. However, it is expected that he will play.

Whoever wins will take the title if they can win their last four games. However, should one or both teams lose again before the campaign is over and at the end of the season they are tied again at the top, then the aggregate points difference between the sides from their two encounters in the league will decide the destination of the title.

In another significant game over the weekend, two of the top three in Gateaux women's division one Meteors and Naomh Mhuire meet tonight at the National Basketball Arena in a rematch of the cup final which was won by Naomh Mhuire.

A repeat victory would leave Naomh Mhuire level with current leaders Wildcats.

In the men's division one, Dungannon's American Derek Freeman will be examined by the IBA doctor today to determine if a reported cartilage injury is sufficient grounds for the club to replace him with another foreign player.