Champions Killester edge out UCD Marian

Basketball: Killester Head Coach Jonathan Grennell hailed a season's best from his side as the defending champions edged out UCD Marian 66-61 at the National Basketball Arena.

The lead changed hands on a number of occasions in a tense derby but Jermaine Turner came up with some key plays in the final quarter to take the win. Grennell was delighted at the final buzzer.

Travelodge Swords Thunder also kept pace with Demons at the top of the league but were rocked by the early exit of Michael Goj (pictured) from their Arena clash against UL Eagles. Swords won the game77-61 but are sweating on the fitness of their in-form swing man after he went to ground with a knee injury.

C&S UCC Demons came through their derby unscathed as they beat BFG Neptune 99-65 in front of a packed Mardyke Arena on Friday night. It worse for Neptune as they were beaten at home by Dublin Inter on Saturday while Templeogue mustered 41 points in the third quarter to see off DCU Saints.

Team Montenotte Hotel returned to the summit of the Women's Premier League with a 61-33 win over UL Huskies. The Glanmire women lost the first quarter but 26 points from Niamh Dwyer saw them go two points clear at the top of the table.

DCU Mercy showed good form ahead of Saturday's Women's National Cup Semi-final in a 65-46 win at Maxol WIT Wildcats. There was a relegation battle at Colaiste Iosagain where Meteors picked up their first win since October to move four points clear of Killester at the bottom of the table.

Needham on the double

MOTORSPORT: Paul Needham joined the ranks of double winners this season when his Erskine finished two marks ahead of Christopher Evans and John Pennefather in MEC's Freeman Cup Sporting Trial at Greenan, in Co Wicklow. Evans got the verdict for second place on tie-deciding.

Willie Fenton was the Grade B victor in fourth place overall, with Gordon Graves and Sam Boden taking the other grade wins. There was also a family double for the Needhams, with Paul's eleven year old son Bill winning the Junior class for the fifth time in his debut season.

Ashley Lamont took a narrow win in Omagh MC's Ken Irwin Trophy Autotest, beating four times Northern Ireland champion Steven Ferguson by just one second after twelve tests at the Showgrounds. Guy Foster was best of the southern drivers in fourth place.

Hermes hit back for draw

Hockey: Leinster League leaders Hermes bounced back from a 2-0 interval deficit against UCD to claim a share of the points at Booterstown.

The students bossed the first half and were good value for their first half lead, with Deirdre Duke and Anna O'Flanagan claiming the goals.

However, pacy front runners Aisling Naughton and Sinead Loughran pulled the home side level to extend Hermes' unbeaten league run to 10 matches.

Naughton was on hand to tip in at a penalty corner before Loughran put a telling touch on Aine Connery's fierce drive which was otherwise heading wide.

On Saturday, Kate Lloyd's goal on the break sufficed to see off Loretoto put the winners into second spot in the table, leaving the losers tied with UCD and Pembroke Wanderers level on points three adrift.

Up north, international Eugene Magee signalled his return to fitness after a long lay-off with three of the nine goals posted by Banbridge as they hammered NICS at Stormont.

Ben apologies for defeat

US FOOTBALL: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, battered by the Baltimore Ravens' pass rush in a 30-17 play-off defeat, put the blame for Saturday's loss on his own shoulders and issued an apology.

"Every time you turn the ball over it's frustrating," an emotional Roethlisberger said after throwing a pair of interceptions in a wild-card loss at that ended Pittsburgh's season.