Two Limerick teams book places in National Cup Basketball Finals

TWO of the four Limerick teams that competed in the National Cup basketball semi-finals over the weekend have progressed to the finals in the National Basketball Arena this weekend.

Both the Limerick Celtics Wheelchair team and the Women's Division One sides failed to get the better of their oppositions in their respective semi-finals.

In the President's Cup semi-final Limerick Celtics overcame a sluggish start to advance to the Presidents’ National Cup Final and maintain their unbeaten tag in the 2024/25 season with a 85-78 win against a fired up Moy Tolka Rovers at MTU Arena.

Moy Tolka Rovers gave Tony Hehir’s side all they could handle, amassing a 13-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, but the Men’s Division One joint-leaders gradually eroded that lead to set up a mouth-watering clash against another unbeaten team, ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers in the decider.

Men’s Division One Player of The Month Finn Hughes continued his rich vein of form with a 31-point haul and he picked up his first bucket early in the contest, responding to a Emiliyan Grudov floater to leave the score 5-4 to the Dubliners after the opening exchanges. Both teams enjoyed periods in the ascendancy to the midway point of the first before Moy Tolka Rovers really found their grove on the offensive end. Marcus Black hit a trademark three to conclude a 15-3 run in the last 4:14 of the quarter that included 12 points for Daniel Ayoade, giving the underdogs a 32-19 lead.

Stephen Commins and Mike Wallace continued the team in red’s momentum early in the second, but Limerick Celtics were giving signals that they were emerging from their slumber. Hughes, Eoghan Donaghy and Ariyon Williams all drove the lane effectively, reducing the gap to 37-30 with just over four minutes remaining in the half. Commins hit a pick and pop three, while Daniel Ayoade got to the line for the first time to keep the scoreboard ticking for Moy Tolka Rovers and they took a slender 48-39 lead into the interval.

That lead was down to three by the end of the third. An 8-0 run completed by another automatic Hughes mid-range jumper brought the teams level at 60 a-piece with 1:46 to go in the period. Ayoade responded with a crucial corner three, followed swiftly by another drive to the lane as the Dublin side looked to avoid semi-final heartache twelve months on from their defeat to Limerick Sport Eagles at the same stage.

Hughes and Grudov swapped threes and the teams were level once more at the midway point in the quarter, 70-70 – though once Hughes edged them back in front with his fourth and final shot from beyond the arc – Moy Tolka Rovers couldn’t recover their momentum. Successive buckets from Chima Obikwelu and Williams put the game beyond their reach and sets up a first meeting of the year between the unbeaten Limerick Celtics and ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers at the National Basketball Arena next Saturday, January 18 at 3:30pm. 

Limerick Celtics U20 men have reached their second consecutive U20 final and are on course for retaining their crown this year after getting the better of Killester 58-52.

It was Killester who raced out to a 15-6 lead early in the first. Daniel Sheridan, Cathal Rogers and JJ Knief all hitting threes from the top of the arc and Limerick Celtics looked a little flustered. Obed Obode checked out with 3:16 to go in the first and without his presence for Killester inside, the length of Philip Kearney and Martin Frawley was seen to full effect. Kearney, point guard Dennis Matthews and Sean Ryan all picked up scores to level proceedings 15-15 at the end of one.

The black and orange regained their composure well at the outset of the second quarter, crashing the offensive boards and picking up four second chance points through Tom Byrne inside the first two minutes. The complexion of the game change with 6:50 remaining in the half. Frawley again doing good work down low drew Obode’s third foul for the and one opportunity, despite missing the ensuing free-throw, it meant the Killester big man was forced to sit for the remainder of the half.

Cian Gleeson hit a spectacular dunk to draw the teams level 19-19 shortly after and when he added to his total with a lay up moments later, it appeared as if Celtics were going to get on top, however to would only enter the locker room with a three-point advantage, 30-27.

Killester head coach Ciaran Roe was forced into an early timeout in the third following a 6-0 run which saw Limerick Celtics take a 36-27 lead at the seven minute mark. Frawley, Matthew Barry and Cian Gleeson doing the damage. To their credit, the Dublin side came back strongly following Roe’s words of advice and scores from Knief and a second long range bomb from Cathal Rogers had the deficit at just five, 44-39 going into the final quarter. A tense final ten minutes saw both teams struggle to score the basketball consistently. Gleeson opened with a three but Tom Byrne replied with two jumpers to take his total to 11 for the game and keep the Dubliners within four, as the game hinged on Limerick Celtics making their pressure free-throws at the death.

To the relief of head coach Tony Hehir, they managed to do so – Barry, Frawley and Kearney all showing their mettle and it’s a meeting with Dundalk Ravens in the final with the chance to retain the title they won 12 months ago.

They will take on Ravens on Sunday, January 19 at 1:15pm.