NEPTUNE entered the second half of their Budweiser Superleague campaign by stretching their 100 per cent record to 10 games yesterday with a comprehensive 105-86 win over Marian at Ailesbury Road.
It was a fourth match in succession that Neptune managed to top the ton on the scoresheet and their continuing dominance of the league is a credit to a team that does not have a Bosman-ruling player in their squad.
The basis for the victory yesterday was a solid first half performance after which they led 55-39. Mario Mull in was their top scorer on 31 but the remainder of the points were evenly distributed down the bench with Neptune's Irish players claiming 58 points, led by Stephen McCarthy on 12.
Realistically, it looks more and more like a duel for the title between the Corkmen and their nearest pursuers, Star of the Sea, who kept in touch just two points adrift of the lead with an easy 101-62 win over Sligo.
Gareth McGuire, who was the top scoring Irish player in the Speurkeess cup in Luxembourg over the New Year period, was the top scorer for the Belfast side on 23 with John Leahy on 22 and Gabe Jackson on 20.
Of the remaining teams in the Superleague, only St Vincent's can be regarded as having an outside chance of catching the top two. Their task is to win all their remaining games and they pulled off an impressive 93-89 success over delta in a possible Cup final preview on Friday night at the National Basketball Arena.
In the only other Superleague game over the weekend, the reigning champions, Tralee, ended a bad run of form by defeating bottom of the table Annadale Queens by 88-67. The Kerry side's new American Roscoe Patterson made a fine debut, scoring 34, while Irish international John Teahan added 26.
In Division One, Ballina put behind them their cup defeat against Killarney before Christmas to win in Dungannon by 93-79 on Saturday night and so maintain their push for promotion. Liam McHale was their top scorer on 29.
The Mayomen are now joint leaders with MSB, who defeated Tolka Rovers 99-80. Ben Batory was the leading scorer for MSB on 34.
At the bottom, St Gall's picked up their first win of the season in spectacular style by defeating fellow strugglers Tridents 93-60. Adam Stockwell on 31 points, led the scoring for the Belfast side.
In the Gateaux Women's league. Naomh Mhuire made it a three-way tie at the top of the table after easily defeating Tolka 102-82. The Kyne sisters dominated the winners' scoring with Anne Marie finishing up on 26 while Ursula made 21.
Mhuire now share top position with Wildcats and Meteors, each of whom were inactive over the weekend.
Near the foot of the table, MSB defeated Brunell 45-44 in a match which might well have a decisive bearing on which of the two teams drop down to Division Two alongside the apparently doomed Tralee. MSB move out of the bottom two as a result of their victory.
In Division Two, Blarney's relentless and now inevitable surge for promotion continued with a massive 91-42 win over Eagles. Helen McSweeney, not usually renowned as a high scorer, led the way for the Corkwomen on 20 points.
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