Titans and Maree set for mouth-watering league semi-final clash
Both teams just two wins away from promotion to the Men’s Super League
It promises to be the biggest basketball game in Galway for some time, as Titans head to Oranmore on Saturday evening to take on Maree in the men’s national Division One semi-final in Calasanctius College (7pm).
The derby clash means there is guaranteed to be a Galway side in the league final, which also decides the sole promotion spot to the Super League, in Dublin in a fortnight’s time.
Maree are looking to make an immediate return to the top flight, after being relegated at the end of last season; while Titans are looking to win promotion to the Super League for the first time in the club’s history.
The sides have met three times already this season with Maree just about edging the head-to-head. They ran out 104-68 winners in Oranmore in the league in November; and beat the city side 88-72 in a cup quarter-final in Oranmore in January; while Titans were 66-65 winners in the league clash in the city in December.
Maree booked their place in the last four with a 75-69 win at home to Carrick Cruisers last weekend, while Titans produced the shock of the round when taking down top-seeds Dublin Lions on an 82-78 scoreline in Clondalkin on the same evening.
Maree have home advantage by virtue of the higher regular season league finish, and the winners will advance to the play-off final on Saturday April 11, where they will face either South Conference winners Limerick Sport Eagles, or North Conference runners-up Drogheda Wolves, in a game that will be played in the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght.
University of Galway Mystics came close to emulating Titans result, only to come up agonisingly short in their Women’s Division One quarter-final away to top-seeds, Cleveland Rockets, losing 77-74; but there was better news for Claregalway, who are through to the Women’s Basketball Ireland Development League (BIDL) final after a 70-60 win at home to St Mary’s Castleisland on Sunday.
Defending U-20 Men’s National League champions, Titans are safely into the last four of this year’s competition after dishing out a 97-63 hammering to Drogheda Wolves in last weekend's quarter-finals; but there was disappointment for Maree, who bowed out at the same stage, losing 94-77 away to Templeogue.