Maigh Cuilinn make the long trip to Letterkenny this Saturday knowing that the opportunity to steady their season could not be more clearly laid before them.
Their opponents, Team North West, remain winless after seven games and have fallen by an average of 27 points per outing. For a Maigh Cuilinn side desperate to regain confidence after a difficult few weeks, this fixture represents both a chance to reset and a test of professionalism.
Team North West’s scoring threat is anchored almost entirely by American guard Tommy DiRienzo, a standout from Penn State Behrend who arrives in Ireland with an exceptional collegiate résumé. DiRienzo was a two-time All-Region and three-time All-Conference selection, earning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Player of the Year honours in 2023–24. He led his programme in scoring, rebounding and free-throws last season, shot 43 per cent from three-point range and graduated as Behrend’s all-time leading scorer with 1,836 points. If Maigh Cuilinn limit his opportunities and avoid fouling, they will remove the bulk of North West’s offensive output.
For Paul O’Brien’s men, the priority is turning competitive spells into full-game execution. Their performance last weekend against Tipp Talons once again showed their potential in patches, particularly in the first half when they built a four-point interval lead. But a disastrous three-minute stretch late in the third quarter, during which they committed a string of turnovers and conceded 12 unanswered points, decided the contest. Despite winning three of the four quarters, they fell 67–60, undone by 18 turnovers and cold outside shooting.
Yet it was, overall, a hugely positive weekend for the club. Earlier that same day, Maigh Cuilinn’s women made history by winning their first ever home fixture in the Women’s Basketball Ireland Development League, defeating Dublin Raiders 50–44 at the Kingfisher. Ellen Power top-scored with 13 points, while former Irish soccer international Julie-Ann Russell was central to everything positive, adding 10 points including a remarkable half-court buzzer-beater to end the third quarter. Young stars Justine Gadioux and Lily Hynes added seven each and spearheaded ferocious full-court defensive pressure that repeatedly swung momentum.
With the women’s team showing the value of composure and resilience, Maigh Cuilinn’s men will hope to replicate that formula in Letterkenny. Against a struggling Team North West but in a venue where complacency is often punished, the assignment is straightforward but delicate: play with purpose, tighten the decision-making, and rediscover the confidence that carried them to two early-season wins.
A victory on Saturday would not erase the frustrations of recent weeks, but it could mark the start of the turnaround they so badly need.
