UCC Demons and Rebel Wheelers fly the flag for Cork basketball

UCC Demons will be back in the capital next weekend in their bid to retain their Pat Duffy Men’s National title where they will be play Dublin side Killester.

The northside club brought a huge crowd to the home of their greatest rivals Neptune for their semi-final against Sligo All Stars.

The westerners were weakened by an injury to American Rob Montgomery, but in truth Demons didn’t have to come out of second gear.

Despite a few huffs and puffs Demons were always in control and while their professionals led the scoring it was the display given by three of their Irish players that stood out.

IMMENSE

David Lehane has been sidelined for five weeks with a knee injury, but he showed what his game is all about with a Man of the Match display. Lehane contributed 12 points and six defensive rebounds but it was his strength in defence that really stood out.

To be fair, Lehane is a warrior and it was a welcome sight for the faithful to have back for this game.

Kyle Hosford has been another wonderful servant for the club over many years and outside of his seven points he played solid at the point and steadied the ship when Sligo threatened to get back in the game.

Hosford contemplated retirement and missed the opening games of the league campaign but since coming back into the action has made Demons a better team.

FAITH

The third Demons Irish player that impressed me was Blake Murphy who gave his side a spark when they needed it in the second half. Murphy is a solid defender and since his coach has shown faith in him, he hasn’t left the side down.

Unusual for James Hannigan to have zero points behind his name but in fairness he has led his team in that department for many games since he joined the club. Just like his twin Scott they play with passion and pride and no doubt the big stage at the National Basketball Arena is right up their alley.

Preparations will be meticulous led by coach Danny O’Mahony and his loyal assistant Stuart Rodgers as the club bid to win their record-breaking ninth title.

A 10am tip-off at the MTU Arena was my first pitstop on Saturday to take in the Rebel Wheelers and Limerick Celtics IWA National Cup semi-final. The return of Tiernan O’Donnell was expected to pose Rebel Wheelers problems but that never materialized as they were dominant from start to finish.

Just like Demons, the Wheelers have strength in depth and two players that came off the bench proved crucial in their win.

Derek Hegarty will be bidding for his sixth medal on Friday night and he showed all his experience and class to finish with 12 points and some solid defence that helped his team big time.

The second player to come off the bench was Dylan McCarthy who led the Wheelers scoring with 14 points and again was outstanding at both ends of the court.

In the NICC semi finals there was disappointment for both Fr Mathew’s and Ballincollig.

Fr Mathew’s were pitted against Dublin side Ungar Chasers but despite putting in a huge shift they eventually lost out 69-63.

Ballincollig started well against the holders Flomax Liffey Celtics, but the experience of the Kildare side saw them book their place in the decider with a 61-50 win.

Neptune U18 Men’s side led for the opening three-quarters of their semi-final against a crack Titans team from Galway but were outscored 23-8 in the crucial fourth quarter.

The result was an eight-point defeat 74-66 but credit to Ger Noonan and his players for the display given as they certainly left everything on court.