Portlaoise Panthers will hold an eight-team tournament this weekend, with the 2024/25 basketball season almost upon us.
The Men’s National League Pre-season Tournament will feature 15 matches across three days, held from Friday, September 6, to Sunday, September 8, in St Mary’s Hall, Portlaoise.
The Panthers are joined in Group 1 by Limerick Sports Eagles, Tipp Talons and Titans BC.
Group 2 consists of Limerick Celtics, Dublin Lions, Tolka Rovers and Waterford SETU.
Panthers head coach, Jack Scully spoke to LaoisToday about the tournament:
“I’m excited to get the season up and running, and to welcome all the teams to Portlaoise,” he said. “It’s the first outing for our new-look team.”
The tournament gets underway on Friday night at 7pm, with the all-Dublin clash of Tolka Rovers and Dublin Lions.
Then, at 8.30pm, the Panthers take to the court to face off against Thirles side, Tipp Talons.
Saturday features a bumper card of eight games, with no less than 12 hours of basketball.
Portlaoise Panthers get the show on the road at 10am on Saturday morning when they take on Titans BC from Galway.
There will be three games after that before the Panthers return to the court for their final group game against Limerick Sport Eagles, with another three games on afterwards.
The final two group games will take place at 10am and 11.30am on Sunday morning.
The two semi-finals will be that afternoon, with the Group 1 winners out at 1pm and the Group 2 winners starting at 2.30.
The tournament comes to a close at 4pm on Sunday, with what is sure to be a fantastic final.
Tickets for the event can be purchased here. Tickets cost €10 per day; an adult weekend pass costs €20; and a weekend pass for those under the age of 18 costs €10.
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