Saturday 14 February 2026
Maigh Cuilinn 82 – 73 Titans
University of Galway, Kingfisher Sports Arena

Sunday 15 February 2026
Tipp Talons 83 – 99 Maigh Cuilinn
Scoil Ruain, Killenaule, Co. Tipperary

Maigh Cuilinn enjoyed a perfect Valentine’s weekend, delivering back-to-back victories that have thrown the playoff race wide open and injected real momentum into the closing stretch of the National League season.

Maigh Cuilinn 82 – 73 Titans

Saturday night in the University of Galway Sports Arena belonged to the home side, who controlled matters from start to finish against their city rivals. It was not without resistance — derbies rarely are — but Maigh Cuilinn always looked the more coherent and composed outfit.

The tone was set early by Antonio Molina, who came out firing and drilled all four of his first-half attempts from beyond the arc. With that early spacing established, Grant Olsson found room to operate and went about his work with typical efficiency, helping himself to 19 points before the interval.

Titans had their moments. Umar Rachid produced flashes of individual brilliance and the inside presence of Declan Gbignie and Fortune Igbokwe kept the visitors within touching distance, but Maigh Cuilinn’s team defence repeatedly forced them into difficult shots and disrupted any hope of sustained rhythm.

A 22–20 opening quarter became a 46–38 halftime advantage after Maigh Cuilinn took the second period 24–18. The platform was built on discipline, shot selection and an ability to come up with key stops whenever Titans threatened a run.

The third quarter was the visitors’ best spell and they shaded it by a single point, finding success in transition. Yet even then, Maigh Cuilinn continued to generate the cleaner looks, and once Ivan Basic found his groove the direction of travel became clear.

Basic was electric after the restart, pouring in 20 second-half points, repeatedly beating defenders off the dribble and finishing in traffic despite giving away inches to almost everyone around him. As Titans stretched their defence in an effort to contain him, gaps opened elsewhere and Maigh Cuilinn managed the closing minutes with maturity.

Down the stretch, the interior trio of Dylan Cunningham, Brendan Hardiman and John Hackett delivered a series of vital defensive possessions, each stop greeted by a growing roar from the stands. By the time the fourth quarter ticked away, the outcome felt inevitable — a deserved 82–73 win that kept Maigh Cuilinn firmly in the hunt.

Maigh Cuilinn: Ivan Basic 24, Grant Olsson 22, Antonio Molina 16, Dylan Cunningham 5, Rory O’Sullivan 4, John Hynes 3, James Loughnane 3, John Hackett 3, Liam Moloney 2, Brendan Hardiman, Luka Simovic, Ray O’Cnaimhsi.

Our U11 Girls with the team after the Titans win on Valentines night

Tipp Talons 83 – 99 Maigh Cuilinn

Less than 24 hours later, and without the injured Olsson for the back-to-back, Maigh Cuilinn produced arguably their most complete offensive display of the campaign in Tipperary.

Talons, one of the season’s surprise packages with seven wins already on the board, matched them blow for blow for long stretches. Outside of a brief nine-point burst midway through the first quarter, the contest had a lively, back-and-forth feel and the home crowd sensed an opportunity.

What shifted the mood was Maigh Cuilinn’s finishing of the second period. Having seen Talons claw back to within one, a James Loughnane three steadied visiting nerves before John Hynes soared in for a huge offensive rebound and put-back in the dying seconds. Instead of heading in almost level, Maigh Cuilinn carried a six-point cushion to the dressing room.

From there, the floodgates gradually opened.

Molina delivered the performance of his Maigh Cuilinn career, compiling 28 points, five rebounds and five assists in a display of control and creativity. Basic again provided relentless penetration with 21, while Hardiman and Rory O’Sullivan kept the scoreboard moving.

Veterans Cunningham and Loughnane timed their contributions perfectly, Hardiman remained a constant presence, and when Molina buried a three on the buzzer to close the third, stretching the lead to 68–54, the fight seemed to drain from the building.

Talons never truly threatened in the final quarter as Maigh Cuilinn powered home 99–83, completing a road win that may yet prove decisive in the playoff equation.

Maigh Cuilinn: Antonio Molina 28, Ivan Basic 21, Brendan Hardiman 12, Rory O’Sullivan 10, Dylan Cunningham 8, John Hackett 6, James Loughnane 6, John Hynes 5, Liam Moloney 3, Ray O’Cnaimhsi.

Those results lift Maigh Cuilinn to nine wins and leave them firmly in the mix as the regular season enters its final phase. A challenging run remains, with trips to Drogheda and Portlaoise to come either side of home encounters with Maree and Malahide, but the mood around the group has changed markedly.

If the energy, execution and shared scoring of this weekend can be maintained, the push for postseason basketball will go right down to the wire.

Categories: Men's Superleague, Mens, News