Moycullen open campaign with impressive away win

SSE Airtricity Moycullen opened their new Basketball Ireland Men’s Super League season on a winning note at the weekend, with Dylan Cunningham one of just four Irish players across the league who scored 20 points or more as the Galway side recorded a 89-73 win over KUBS in Dublin.

Cunningham was outscored by team-mate, Philip Lawrence-Ricks, who bagged 24 points in the win, while Joseph Tummon hit 10 points, as Moycullen recovered from a 41-39 half-time deficit to run out 16-point winners.

It was a weekend when four of the six away teams recorded wins. Belfast Start edged out UL Eagles 68-67 at home with a last-gasp 3-pointer; while UCC Demons also made the most of home advantage, recording a 92-77 win over Irish TV Tralee Warriors, with Kerry Gaelic football star scoring 15 points for Tralee on his return to the Super League.

However, Griffith Swords Thunder were 91-86 winners away to Pyrobel Killester; UCD Marian were 99-66 winners away to Commercial.ie Eanna; and Templeogue recorded a 92-79 win over DCU Saints.

Moycullen host DCU Saints in the Kingfisher at NUI Galway this Saturday at 7pm; while NUIG Mystics, Maree BC, and Titans all get their seasons underway this weekend with the start of the Women’s Super League and Men’s Division One respectively.

NUIG Mystics make the step-up to Super League grade after capturing the Women’s Division One title last season, and they start with a trip to Waterford to take on Maxol WIT Wildcats on Saturday at 7pm.

Both national Division One titles came to Galway last year, with Maree BC taking the men’s crown, but unlike the women’s section, they were not compelled to move up to the Super League – KUBS took the promotion spot instead, having finished second in the table, nine points behind Maree.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.