Preview: Enda Walshe
With the league just at the halfway point, there is a congested look to the top of the table. In the Northern Conference the Portlaoise Panthers and Drogheda Wolves are locked together on seven wins from nine outings with Tolka Rovers and UCD Marian in close proximity with six wins each.
In the South, SETU Carlow lead the way with eight wins followed by Limerick Celtics on seven wins and the Scott’s Lakers on their shoulder with six victories.
The next two fixtures for Lakers gives them an opportunity to breathe a renewed fire into their league hopes and quell the flames of some of their rivals.
The opening game of 2024 is an away day in the midlands to face Portlaoise Panthers but before that is the little matter of the visit of the pacesetters Drogheda Wolves to the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre this Saturday (7.30pm).
The Wolves have been dancing near the top of the table from day one when they opened the season with three wins and while they have a few aces in their pack, Darren Townes is the one that stands out. He lined out for the Killarney Cougars last season and the veteran is still averaging 12 points per game.
Adam Mulally has been sharing his time recently between Drogheda and Lanzarote where he has made quite a name for himself. He is due to return to the Canary Islands very soon and his debut season there yielded him an All-Star, lining out with Conejero. Portuguese Francisco Diaz nailed 29 points last time against the Eagles while American Justin Copman is another scoring threat. Point guard Mark Bodnar continues to pull the strings while Ben Kelly Flynn, is another dab-hand.
And while defeat was their lot last time out in Tolka, Scott’s Lakers have a proud home record to protect. Those wins at the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre over the Limerick Sports Eagles, Titans, Dublin Lions, Limerick Celtics and Malahide mean they are only one of three teams in the entire league with an unblemished home record – Limerick Celtics and SETU Carlow being the other two.
That home run has catapulted them into the business end of the table and in Braden Bell they possess a real blue chip player. The October Player of the Month was runner-up in the same poll for November and even in that Tolka defeat he still netted 36 points.
But no man is an island, a point well proved in that Malahide win which Bell departed prematurely injured. Terion Moss stepped up to the plate big time on that occasion while Eoin Carroll’s curve is definitely on an upward trajectory.
Jack O’Sullivan was imperious, hitting 21 points against the Celtics. Captain Paul Clarke has found his offensive niche in recent wins and Jamie O’Sullivan is playing with a maturity belying his years.
Oisin Spring is now a viable option for coach Brian Clarke bringing an intensity to defence while the recent returning Marks, O’Shea and Sheehan, strengthen the hand no end.
With a 7.30pm tip-off this Saturday, it promises to bring a bumper crowd with the festive season in full swing but the only thing on Lakers’ minds will be keeping the Wolves from the door.
KillarneyToday.com: Your free online daily newspaper. Call 087-2229761 or email news@killarneytoday.com
