LAST UPDATE | 13 Apr 2025

UCC DEMONS EDGED Killester 94-92 in a thrilling Men’s Super League final at the National Basketball Arena this evening.

Patrick Robinson was the star of the show, racking up 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a brilliant all-round performance.

The game was in balance right up to the final seconds, with Robinson’s basket and a James Hannigan free throw proving to be the difference in a game of fine margins between the top two from the regular season.

This game — a repeat of the Pat Duffy National Cup final — was always going to be tight and there was just two points between the sides by the end of the quarter, 26-24.

It was level at 49-49 apiece going into half-tim. The Demons moved into the ascendancy thereafter before Killester responded to leave it finely poised, 75-72, at the end of the third quarter.

The Dubliners took the lead, and UCC Demons lost the influential Kyle Hosford for the closing stages, but responded for 89-89 with three minutes to go, setting up a dramatic endgame.

Robinson hit a two with 23.9 seconds remaining, which sent the Demons 93-91 in front. Kason Harrell had two free throws to bring it level, but could only convert one. Hannigan then drew a foul, again only one was downed from the free throw line and it was 94-92 with 6.2 seconds to go.

Killester still had possession, however there was to be no further late twist to an outstanding final.

“Just after an unbelievable season, I think we deserved this,” said UCC Demons captain David Lehan.

“Knockout basketball, you have to get your rewards and I thought we did that today. We stuck together, I’m so proud of this team. Fair play to Killester, they were unbelievable as well, but today we just got lucky and got over the line.

“There’s nothing between these two teams, they beat us in the Cup, we beat them today. It’s a battle of who’s better on the day, and to be honest there wasn’t much of a difference, but we did just enough to get over the edge.”

Lehane also praised game MVP Patrick Robinson. “Pat is incredible, he’s been doing that all season. Today he had a point to prove, and he proved it fairly obviously.”

Tom Maher / INPHO Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO

Earlier in Tallaght, Killester made it back-to-back Women’s Super League titles with an 83-63 win over Utility Trust St. Paul’s in today’s final.

It was just a five-point game at the halfway stage before Killester really turned the game in their favour at the start of the third quarter thanks to a 10-point run, while defensively they were containing the threat of the likes of Gracen Kerr and Callie Cavanaugh.

Back-to-back threes from Destiny Strother and a Samantha Haiby layup had Killester 56-35 up with three minutes to go.

Utility Trust St. Paul’s scored just four points in the third quarter overall but, to their credit, started the fourth with back-to-back three’s from Kerr.

Killester responded in kind and Strother also picked up the game MVP following her 20-point performance.

“We haven’t had our best season to date, I think our talent is still there this year, but we didn’t always match it with our work ethic. I think we righted a wrong that we didn’t get right in January (in the Paudie O’Connor National Cup final),” Killester captain Michelle Clarke said.

“When you play a Kerry team there’s one thing guaranteed, and that’s that they have a ‘never-say-die’ attitude and we needed to match that today and I thought we did for enough time to come away with a nice win.”