Limerick endured a sobering weekend across the National League divisions with losses coming for all 4 sides.
Starting off in Belfast, the Limerick Celtics Women’s Division One campaign took a turn as the Cleveland Rockets beat them in a comprehensive 82-65 victory.
It was a game where the Rockets led by as much as 20 points at one stage. Celtics can put it down to a poor shooting display with the entire team shooting 26/84 from the field and, more surprisingly, 2/27 from three.
Celtics started well with scores from Sabhbh Edwards Murphy, Amy Buckley and Katie Richards pushing Celtics in front. As the first quarter wore on, however, Cleveland got stronger and held a 10-point lead after one.
The Rockets seemed to improve only as the game continued. Led by 17-year-old Aoibheann Donnelly and a stunning 27-point performance, the women from the north did not let up and comfortably saw out the clock to take home the win.
As things winded down up north, the game was just getting underway in Limerick Educate Together School with Limerick Sport Huskies hosting CluneTech Kilkenny Stars with both teams searching for an elusive first win of the season. The first half was well commanded by the Huskies, keeping an almost-consistent six-point lead throughout the first half, yet only went in at the half up by one.
With just two minutes left in the third quarter, Kilkenny would tie up the game and then move in front as we headed for a tense final quarter in Limerick. Kilkenny managed to build a lead in the final quarter but again, Huskies would proceed to draw level late in the game.
The game came down to the final minute with Kilkenny edging ahead leaving Shelby Harmeyer, who had an impressive 14 points and 15 rebounds, and the rest of the Huskies women with too much to do in the end, giving the Stars a 61-56 victory to take back O’Loughlin Gaels.
The loss leaves Huskies at 0-2 and still searching for that first win of the season as they head north to face the Celtics-conquering Cleveland Rockets team in Lisburn.
As for the Limerick Sport Eagles, their battle with Moy Tolka Rovers was a little less topsy-turvy as Tolka took the lead with three minutes gone in the game and would never surrender it from thereafter. A 32-point first quarter for Tolka set the tone of how the evening was going to go.
Four of the starting five for the Dublin men finished the game with double digit points for the day. The Eagles went on a 15-6 run late on but it was just too little, too late for the Limerick side. In terms of scoring, it was Alex Carlisle with 28 points who shouldered the load for the Eagles but coming up against a Tolka side that was shooting over 50% from the field it was always going to be a tall task.
The Saturday was capped off in Sligo where the Celtics mens continued their first Super League campaign after a thrilling late win against Ballincollig in week one and would take on EJ Sligo All-Stars. However they were on the receiving end of a heartbreaking defeat as Elijah Faapito would steal the ball from AJ Williams and hit a shot right on the buzzer to give Sligo an 88-86 victory.
Video: Basketball Ireland
Williams and Abdul Wurie led the charge for Celtics as the game went back and forth with the two men combining for 45 of Celtics 86 points. Guard Eoghan Donaghy also had an impressive showing with 18 points and 5 assists. The men will be looking to recover quick as they travel back up north to take on Belfast Star next Saturday.
Limerick Celtics Results
Womens: Cleveland Rockets 82-65 Limerick Celtics
Mens: EJ Sligo All-Stars 88-86 Limerick Celtics
Limerick Sport Eagles Results
Limerick Sport Eagles 88-101 Moy Tolka Rovers
Limerick Sport Huskies Results
Limerick Sport Huskies 56-61 CluneTech Kilkenny Stars