Maigh Cuilinn 57
Dublin Lions 82
Men’s National League – University of Galway, Kingfisher Sports Arena, Saturday 7 February 2026

Maigh Cuilinn’s first home outing of February proved a difficult one as Dublin Lions left the University of Galway Sports Arena with a comprehensive 82–57 victory on Saturday evening.

The pre-game narrative shifted dramatically in the warm-up when captain Grant Olsson was ruled out with a calf injury. His consistent twenty-plus points per night and, just as importantly, his presence on the defensive glass, were always going to be hard to replace. Without him, Maigh Cuilinn needed a near-perfect collective effort; instead, they found themselves trying to solve problems from the opening minutes.

Lions struck early, powering to a 14–5 advantage as their size told around the rim, with Aran Lee a major factor inside. Ivan Basic responded impressively for the home side, looking aggressive and confident, but scores were difficult to string together.

Maigh Cuilinn initially did a solid job containing the dangerous Russ Marr, yet as the quarter wore on the American began to influence proceedings. Strong, direct drives drew contact and whistles, and when John Hackett collected his third foul earlier than anyone in green and white would have liked, the rotation was forced to change. Extended minutes followed for Dylan Cunningham and Brendan Hardiman, both of whom competed gamely but were being asked to shoulder a heavy load at both ends.

Energy was not the issue. John Hynes produced a tireless display, flying into defensive assignments, chasing loose balls and looking to ignite transition opportunities. Rory O’Sullivan too had lively moments and threatened whenever space appeared. But Lions were efficient, physical and patient, and their 25–16 first-quarter lead always felt solid.

The second period contained perhaps Maigh Cuilinn’s best spell. They chipped away, found better balance offensively and cut what had been a double-digit margin back to eight at 39–31 with under two minutes remaining in the half. At that stage, getting to the break within touching distance would have represented a psychological lift.

Instead, the visitors delivered the decisive blow. Either side of halftime, Lions pieced together a punishing 14–3 burst that restored daylight between the teams and forced Maigh Cuilinn back into catch-up mode. From there, the pattern of the game was established: Maigh Cuilinn working furiously for scores, Lions answering with control, second chances and timely execution.

The third quarter followed a similar script. Cunningham and Hardiman continued to battle, Basic kept probing, but the absence of Olsson’s scoring punch meant sustained runs were hard to manufacture. When Lions pushed the margin beyond twenty, the contest began to feel inevitable.

To their credit, Maigh Cuilinn never dropped their effort. Hynes kept competing, O’Sullivan remained positive, and the bench continued to search for a spark, yet the visitors always had an answer and closed out the game professionally, winning each quarter on the way to a deserved 82–57 result.

Attention now turns quickly to what promises to be one of the marquee nights of the season, a Galway derby with Titans in the same venue next Saturday at 7pm. With playoff positions tightening, it is a fixture that will carry major significance.

Maigh Cuilinn scorers: Ivan Basic 21, Antonio Molina 14, Brendan Hardiman 6, John Hynes 5, Rory O’Sullivan 4, James Loughnane 3, Dylan Cunningham 2, John Hackett 2, Ray O’Cnaimhsi, Luka Simovic.

Categories: Men's Superleague, News