A REMARKABLE sequence of results over the weekend saw shock defeats for Neptune, MSB and Ballina, so the campaigns in both the Budweiser Superleague and Division One have tightened up again at the top.
Neptune's loss on Friday to Tralee by 82-79 marked the end of their twelve-match winning streak and opened the way for Star of the Sea to draw level at the top if they could beat St Vincent's yesterday in Glasnevin.
That game was highly significant for both sides as third-placed St Vincent's would have brought themselves right back into the reckoning if they had won. Such a result looked very much on the cards at half-time when they led 51-44.
But the remainder of the game belonged to Star who outscored St Vincent's 53-36 in an inspired second half, during which John Leahy scored 22 points to take his tally in the game to 33.
With five minutes to go, Star were six points clear and they defended that lead well enough to be seven clear when St Vincent's American Doug Arnold was fouled out with two minutes remaining. Just 30 seconds later, the second St Vincent's foreign player Eric Stevens also had to leave the court after scoring just 15 points and from there on, Star stretched their lead to double figures before finishing 97-87 winners.
As a result of their victory, Star are now back sharing the lead with Neptune, both having lost one game. Third-placed St Vincent's, who have now lost four times, look to have little or no chance of making a challenge for the title.
Behind the top three there is now a four-way tie for fourth place while Killester could leap frog all those teams if they win their game in hand.
Killester's inconsistent season, took a turn for the better on Saturday evening as they won 104-79 against bottom of the table Queens in Belfast.
Marian survived the trauma of having American Jason Siemon fouled off early in the second half to win 88-80 in Sligo while Delta pulled off a fine 86-82 win in Killarney.
A feature of the Superleague results was that all five games were won by the visiting teams.
Events in Division One were equally dramatic and unpredictable with the joint leaders, Ballina and MSB slumping to defeats which now leaves a four-way tie at the top that also includes St Mary's Castleisland and Dungannon.
The shock of the weekend was undoubtedly the victory of struggling Tridents over Ballina by 107-97. The Mayomen travelled to the game without American Jason Rubrite who has not returned from the US and in their depleted state, they were especially vulnerable to the brilliant scoring form of Tridents' American Terence King who scored a league record for the season of 52 points.
It was 89-all at the final buzzer but Tridents went into overtime without their second American Mike Gilmore who was fouled, out. However, it was Ballina who suffered more when they lost Liam McHale on five fouls a minute into extra-time and the Dubliners subsequently romped to a ten point victory.
In the Gateaux Women's division one, Naomh Mhuire were surprisingly stretched by MSB before winning 73-67 while Meteors easily defeated Tralee 76-34.
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