Maigh Cuilinn return to the floor this Saturday night with momentum, motivation and a clear prize in sight.
A win over Killarney Lakers would not only extend their recent surge to four victories in a row, but would also see the Connemara side move into a play-off position as the 2025 National League calendar draws to a close. Add in the fact that the game falls the day after St Stephen’s Day, with a large home crowd expected as Maigh Cuilinn natives return for the holidays, and the ingredients are firmly in place for a significant night of basketball at the University of Galway Sports Arena.
Standing in the way are a Killarney Lakers side built around one of the league’s most dangerous backcourts. American point guard Steve Kelly has been in outstanding form this season, averaging 25 points per game while orchestrating the offence with authority. A high-volume, high-efficiency three-point shooter, Kelly is equally comfortable pulling up in transition or punishing defenders who go under ball screens. His ability to control tempo and deliver scoring bursts makes him the focal point of Killarney’s attack.
Inside, UK native Sam Grant provides a powerful counterbalance. Standing at 6ft 9in, Grant leads the line for the Lakers and is averaging 22 points per game, combining size, touch and mobility to cause constant problems in the paint. The Kelly–Grant partnership gives Killarney a formidable inside-out dynamic and ensures they remain competitive in almost every contest.
When the teams met earlier in the season in Kerry, that combination proved decisive. Maigh Cuilinn produced one of their better offensive displays of the early campaign, scoring 80 points, but were undone by second-chance opportunities as Killarney converted a succession of offensive rebounds into momentum-halting scores. Each time Maigh Cuilinn looked poised to take control, loose possessions swung the balance back in the home side’s favour.
Much has changed since then. That night in Killarney coincided with the turning of Maigh Cuilinn’s season. After a difficult run, confidence has steadily returned, and recent wins over Team North West, Portlaoise Panthers and Templeogue have been built on far more than shot-making alone. Defensive intensity, improved rebounding discipline and a renewed commitment to running the floor have re-established an identity that had briefly gone missing.
Grant Olsson has continued to lead from the front, both as a scorer and competitor, while Ivan Basic and Antonio Molina have added control and balance in the backcourt. The interior work of John Hackett and Dylan Cunningham has strengthened Maigh Cuilinn’s presence on the glass, and the growing influence of the wider rotation has allowed the team to sustain energy over forty minutes.
Saturday’s contest will test whether those improvements can be maintained against a direct rival with clear offensive threats. Containing Kelly on the perimeter and limiting Grant’s influence inside will be central to the defensive game plan, but just as crucial will be Maigh Cuilinn’s ability to finish possessions and convert stops into points.
There is added significance in the timing. A fourth straight win would not only confirm Maigh Cuilinn’s resurgence but would see them close out 2025 firmly inside the playoff places — a remarkable turnaround given the position they found themselves in just a month ago.
With stakes high, form improving and a home crowd expected to bring genuine Christmas atmosphere, Maigh Cuilinn know the opportunity in front of them. Deliver here, and they enter the new year not chasing momentum, but carrying it.
