Domino's Men's Super League Round Seven Preview

Domino’s Men’s Super League leaders Limerick Celtics face Munster rivals UCC Demons on Saturday, as Danny O’Mahony takes charge of his first game for the Cork side since March, having won the Domino’s Men’s Super League in 2024/25. St Vincent’s, who remain winless after six games, will take on the defending Domino’s Men’s Super League champions Ballincollig, as Energywise Ireland Neptune play against Belfast Star in a repeat of their first-round contest of the Domino’s MSL National Cup. Griffith College Éanna will look to get a second win in a row as they face Dublin rivals UCD Marian, newly promoted Limerick Eagles host their Domino’s MSL National Cup Round One opponents Killester and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors travel to EJ Sligo All-Stars. 

Ballincollig v St Vincent’s, Saturday 16:00, MTU Arena 

The reigning Domino’s Men’s Super League champions Ballincollig boast a 3-3 record coming into round seven, while their opponents St Vincent’s are yet to get off the mark, going 0-6 this season.  

Ballincollig enter this round of fixtures off the back of a narrow two-point victory against UCD Marian in the Domino’s MSL National Cup. Ballincollig fired out of the ranks to take an early eight-point lead, but ten unanswered points from UCD Marian shot the Dublin side ahead. UCD stretched the lead to 15 points in the second quarter, before taking an 11-point lead into half-time. Adrian O’Sullivan stepped up for the home side in the second half, securing 16 points and knocking down the two free throws to win 71-69. O’Sullivan leads Ballincollig in points for the season, as Alex Bellver continues to impress with six double-doubles for the season. 

Mark Bodnar’s St Vincent’s suffered one of their closest defeats of the season against Griffith College Éanna, where their Dublin rivals came away 89-82 winners. The sides traded score for score at the beginning of the game, before Éanna stretched the gap to six at the end of the first quarter. Vincent’s narrowed the deficit to three by half-time and even levelled the game in the fourth quarter; however, a flurry of Éanna free-throws saw them over the line. Scott Stone has found his form in the Domino’s Men’s Super League, averaging 25.8 points per game and leading the league in points. 

Energywise Ireland Neptune v Belfast Star, Saturday 18:30, Neptune Stadium 

Energywise Ireland Neptune were eliminated from the Domino’s MSL National Cup by the hands of Belfast Star last weekend, where the Ulster side came away 88-84 winners. Neptune produced a huge 27-point first quarter, but Belfast Star kept close with 24 points. The gap stayed at three for the remainder of the second half, before Belfast Star took back the lead after outscoring Neptune 21-13 in the third quarter. Neptune went 73-70 ahead with six minutes to go; however, four missed free throws from six gave Belfast Star the edge to get back in front and seal a four-point win. 

Neptune sit five places behind Belfast Star in the Domino’s Men’s Super League, holding eighth position with a 3-3 record. The Cork team had a rough 0-2 start but flipped that around to go 3-1 in recent weeks, including two huge Cork derby wins over Ballincollig and UCC Demons. In their most recent league outing, Neptune scalped Killester in the National Basketball Arena to win 90-84, where Jalen Hodge stepped up to produce an 11-point quarter and guide Neptune to a six-point victory. Sam Smith leads Neptune in scoring with 133, while three of his teammates – Jalen Hodge, Sean McCarthy and Kendall Taylor – have also breached the 100-point mark for the season. 

Belfast Star currently hold third position in the Domino’s Men’s Super League, going 4-2 for the season. EJ Sligo All-Stars halted Belfast’s four-game winning streak in round six, dropping the Ulster side from second to third. Prior to this, Belfast Star took games against UCC Demons, UCD Marian, Griffith College Éanna and St Vincent’s. Shane Bell and Jordan Green have been averaging 22.2 and 19 points per game respectively, while Irish international Rapolas Buivydas has clocked up 109 points for the season. 

Griffith College Éanna v UCD Marian, Saturday 19:00, Coláiste Éanna 

Griffith College Éanna sit only once place from the bottom of the Domino’s men’s Super League, with a 2-4 record, with wins over St Vincent’s and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors. Morgan Taylor has been the standout scorer for Éanna with 115 for the season, even clocking up a 29-point game in their most recent outing. With seven teams in the league sitting with a 3-3 record, a win for Éanna could leap-frog them into the upper half of the table. 

UCD Marian fell short to Ballincollig last weekend as they were eliminated from the Domino’s MSL National Cup; however, the Dublin side won their most recent league outing against an in-form Limerick Eagles team. Limerick Eagles controlled the first quarter and took a three-point lead into the second period; however, a strong 27-14 quarter for UCD Marian gave them the upper hand at half-time. Limerick Eagles clawed the deficit back in the third period to bring the game within one, but a UCD scoring onslaught in the final period led the home side to a 13-point victory.  

Last season, the Dublin rivals took one win each, with UCD Marian taking game one by 101-79 and Griffith College Éanna winning the second contest 90-81. 

Limerick Celtics v UCC Demons, Saturday 19:00, Crescent College 

Limerick Celtics took spot in the Domino’s Men’s Super League after their conclusive win over Garvey’s Tralee Warriors in round six, overtaking their rivals Limerick Eagles. Celtics began the contest with a high-scoring 27-point quarter, before taking a commanding 14-point lead into the second half. Limerick Celtics didn’t stop the onslaught there, as they outscored Tralee Warriors 22-14 in the third quarter, before eventually leading by 27 in the final period. Tralee Warriors attempted a late comeback and bridged the gap to 15, but Tony Hehir’s men closed the game out to win by 19 points on the road.  

UCC Demons enter round seven in fourth position and with Danny O’Mahony back at the helm following the departure of Stuart Rodgers. Demons have won their last two games on the bounce, including a decisive Cork derby win over Ballincollig. Ballincollig cruised to a 22-12 lead in the first quarter, before entering half-time eight points ahead. UCC Demons shot into life in the second, outscoring Ballincollig 49-31 to take home a ten-point victory.  

Limerick Celtics’ Tiras Morton, who won the Domino’s Men’s Super League October Player of the Month, has been the standout player of the season so far, leading the league in rebounds (73), assists (37) and steals (23). Asanti Price leads UCC Demons in scoring for the season, having scored 132 points and racking up five 20-point games. 

Limerick Eagles v Killester, Saturday 19:00, St Munchin’s College 

Limerick Eagles started their Domino’s MSL National Cup campaign with a bang, beating six-time winners Killester in Clontarf. Limerick Eagles started the game with a stellar 26-point quarter, where Aaron Rhooms and Tobias Christensen combined for 17 points in the ten minutes. Killester struggled to fight back in the next two periods, before finally narrowing the gap to six at the end of the third quarter. An early three-pointer from Kyle Carlesimo and a converted Colm O’Reilly free-throw brought the game to 57-55 in Limerick Eagles' favour; however, a flurry of points from Alex Carlisle, Aaron Rhooms and Ryan Leonard earned Limerick Eagles the 12-point win. 

Limerick Eagles enter round seven in second position, following their round six defeat to UCD Marian. Prior to this, Limerick Eagles sat top of the league for five straight weeks with wins over St Vincent’s, Ballincollig, Griffith Colle Éanna and EJ Sligo All-Stars. Niall McDermott’s side have hit the Super League running, as Alex Carlisle sits third in the league for points, Tobias Christensen has claimed second in the league for assists and Darragh Horkan has the third most steals in the league. 

Killester began the season with a 3-0 start; however, losses to Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, Ballincollig and Energywise Ireland Neptune have dropped the Dublin side to fifth place. 

“We’ve lost our way a bit on the defensive end. We have known that we might lack some shooting and that we would need to be elite defensively. However, as we’ve struggled to score, we have also softened on defence. So, it’s been a struggle, but I really like our team, and I am confident we can right the ship,” said Killester head coach Mike Olson. “The Eagles are really cohesive. They can score at all five positions, and Toby is a great connector. Conversely their zone is tough to crack. They are an impressive team, and we know it will be a very challenging game.” 

EJ Sligo All-Stars v Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, Saturday 19:30, Mercy College 

Only one position separates EJ Sligo All-Stars and Garvey’s Tralee Warriors as we enter round seven, with Sligo in tenth and Tralee in ninth. EJ Sligo All-Stars stunned Belfast Star with a 99-93 win at Newforge Sports Complex in round six. Despite trailing by five after the first quarter, Sligo surged ahead to lead by nine at half-time. Belfast regained the lead with a 31-point third quarter, but Ibbe Klintman sealed the win for Sligo with 17 points in the final period. 

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors have secured three wins from six so far, beating Energywise Ireland Neptune, Killester and Belfast Star in the opening weeks. The Kerry side were eliminated from the Domino’s MSL National Cup by Limerick Celtics last week, having also lost to their Munster rivals in round six of the Domino’s Men’s Super League.  

Although Liam Murphy has led the scoring charge for EJ Sligo All-Stars, his teammate Albright Obode is averaging 11 points and ten rebounds per game. Alec Millender has been the top scoring threat for Garvey’s Tralee Warriors this season, averaging 22.8 points per game and even picking up a double-double in their recent outing.