Superb start for EJ All-Stars in their Super League return
InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League DBS Éanna
EJ Sligo All-Stars 82 93
B
ACK with a bang. EJ Sligo All-Stars’ senior men’s team returned to top level of Basketball Ireland competitions and they impressed when chalking up a win last Saturday night, beating DBS Éanna by 11 points, 93-82, in an InsureMyVan.ie Men’s Super League fixture.
Greg Poleon, one of the team’s new signings, made an instant impression by shooting 40 points, a tally that included five three-pointers.
DBS Éanna, last season’s North Conference winners, had no answer to Poleon’s mixture of power and precision shooting.
Shane O’Meara, EJ Sligo All-Stars’ head coach, enthused about Poleon’s contribution.
“Greg [Poleon] is the hardest working big man I’ve seen here, he’s a beast in the paint and has an efficient midrange and three-point game – this makes him a match-up nightmare for other teams.
“But, above all, he’s a warrior and a leader, a player who makes our practices competitive and extremely enjoyable.”
O’Meara added: “It [the result] was a great team effort. We put a lot of value on our defence anfd our teamwork and culture shone when Éanna went on a [scoring] run.”
Tom Child supplied 22 points for the winners, with the team’s other scores shared between Jamie Hayes (11pts), Cameron King (8pts), Andrew McGeever (8pts), Oisin O’Reilly (2pts) and Joseph Coughlan (2pts).
The scoring hero for EJ Sligo AllStars, Greg Poleon, was delighted with
BASKETBALL SMILES: At last Thursday’s event held at EJ Menswear, Grattan Street, to mark the start of the new Super League season were EJ Sligo All-Stars players Jamie Hayes and Greg Poleon.
how things went on his Super League debut.
“There was great energy [in the game]. We weren’t at home, which was unfortunate, but we still had some fans there. It was a lot of fun,” he said, when talking to Ocean FM’s Donal Ryan. When asked about his 40-point haul, Poleon gave credit to the other EJ Sligo All-Stars players.
“I just got hot, man, my team-mates found me and I just played basketball the hard way.”
Having played in England, the American said there was little adjustment involved when coming here.
“I’ve been made feel very welcome in Sligo so I like it a lot. I already knew Jamie [Hayes] and Tom [Child] before coming over. This is a step up, the Super League is the top level in Ireland.”
“I’m ready to work hard, as are the rest of the players, we want to get good results.”
The enthusiasm is already building for EJ Sligo All-Stars’ first home game of the season – this Saturday’s hosting of UCD Marian at the Mercy College gym (tip-off 7.30pm). UCD Marian lost 84-82 at home to Killester last Saturday.
RELEGATION FINAL: CoolaneyMullinabreena 1-9, Curry 2-11
Sligo LGFA Connacht Gold Senior Championship
SEMI-FINAL: Tourlestrane 10-8, Eastern Harps 1-9
FIXTURES
First named team has home advantage unless otherwise stated. The referee for each fixture is denoted in brackets.
Thursday, October 6
Expert Electrical Sligo U-17 Hurling Championship
SHIELD FINAL: Drumcliffe-Rosses Point v
Calry-St Joseph’s (Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence, Scarden, 7pm) (Michael Connolly)
Saturday, October 8
Expert Electrical Sligo U-13 Hurling Championship
CUP SEMI-FINAL SECOND REPLAY: St Molaise
Gaels v Coolera-Strandhill (Monsignor Hynes
Park, Grange, 2pm) (Christopher Jenkins)
Expert Electrical Sligo U-17 ‘B’
Football Championship
CUP FINAL: Coolera-Strandhill v Castleconnor
(Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence,
Scarden, 2.30pm) (Keith Henry)
SHIELD FINAL: Curry v St John’s (Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence, Scarden, 2pm) (Ciaran O’Donnell) PLATE FINAL: St Patrick’s v Tourlestrane
(Cloonacool Community Park, 4pm) (Joe Hynes)
Sligo Senior Hurling Championship
SEMI-FINAL: Naomh Eoin v Coolera-Strandhill (Sligo GAA Centre of Excellence, 4pm) (Michael Connolly)
Sligo LGFA Connacht Gold Junior ‘A’ Championship
FINAL: Drumcliffe-Rosses Point v Shamrock
Gaels (Markievicz Park, 12.30pm)
Club Results and Fixtures
GAA FACES: A section of the crowd at Markievicz Park for the Homeland Senior Football Championship semi-finals on Sunday last. St Mary’s defeated Drumcliffe-Rosses on penalties and holders Tourlestrane were victorious against Shamrock Gaels.
Sligo LGFA Connacht Gold Senior Championship CUP FINAL: St Nathy’s v Tourlestrane
(Markievicz Park, 3pm)
Sunday, October 9
Connacht Gold Junior ‘A’ Football Championship
FINAL: St Molaise Gaels v Shamrock Gaels (Markievicz Park, 1.30pm) (Michael Conway)
Connacht Gold Intermediate Football Championship FINAL: St Molaise Gaels v Easkey
(Markievicz Park, 4pm) (Bill Carty)