Limerick Eagles started their first Super League season since promotion with a 117–78 win away to St Vincent's in Glasnevin on Saturday night. Alex Carlisle scored 35 points in 25 minutes and Darragh Horkan added 20. Five Eagles finished in double figures and 11 players got minutes.
Horkan scored the first two baskets of the night and the Eagles never trailed. Lawrence Slim scored St Vincent's first eight points to keep them close. Carlisle had 11 in the quarter, and the Eagles made 12 of 17 inside the arc. Late threes from Toby Christensen and Ryan Leonard helped them to a 33–18 lead at the end of the first.
The second quarter went to the home side, 23–17. The Eagles made two of 12 from three in the quarter, and St Vincent's kept attacking the basket. Scott Stone, Dorian Lagoeyte and Kingsley Nwagboso scored in quick succession to make it 45–39, and another Nwagboso basket cut the gap to six again at 47–41. Aleksandar Kovacevic answered with a three just over a minute from the break, and the Eagles went in 50–41 up.
Nwagboso scored the first basket of the second half, and St Vincent's were still within five, 57–52, with almost eight minutes left in the third quarter. The Eagles then went on a 33–5 run in under six minutes. Carlisle scored 18 of those points and made all five of his two-point shots. Aaron Rhooms added nine in the third after overcoming some first-half foul trouble. Kovacevic scored three times as the run went on. By the end of the quarter it was 90–61.
Carlisle, Leonard, Christensen and Rhooms sat out the fourth quarter. Horkan played all ten minutes of it, hitting four threes and scoring 14 of his 20 points. Fryderyk Klimas added seven in the fourth, and a Kovacevic basket with 4:51 left took the Eagles past 100.
St Vincent's turned the ball over 25 times, to nine for the Eagles. The Eagles had 17 steals, three each for Horkan and Leonard. Christensen had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The Eagles were +34 in his 24 minutes.
Rhooms scored 15 points in under 13 minutes in his first competitive game for the club. Kovacevic, also making his competitive debut, had 13 points and six rebounds. For St Vincent's, Slim finished with 25 points, 12 of them from the free-throw line, and Stone had 13.
The Eagles are back in action on Saturday 10 October, at home to reigning champions Ballincollig at St Munchin's College. Tip-off is 7pm. All Eagles fans are welcome to the first home game of the season.
Score by quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Vincent's | 18 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 78 |
| Limerick Eagles | 33 | 17 | 40 | 27 | 117 |
Eagles box score
| Player | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Carlisle | 25 | 35 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Darragh Horkan | 27 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Aaron Rhooms | 13 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Aleksandar Kovacevic | 27 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Toby Christensen | 24 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Fryderyk Klimas | 17 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Sean Ryan | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ryan Leonard | 21 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Daniel Shahab | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirill Yakovlev | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronan Cregan | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Team totals: 35 of 53 from two, 12 of 40 from three, 11 of 16 free throws, 41 rebounds (4 team rebounds), 20 assists, 17 steals, 9 turnovers. St Vincent's: 27 of 44 from two, 2 of 19 from three, 18 of 23 free throws, 40 rebounds, 25 turnovers. Final score: St Vincent's 78–117 Limerick Eagles.
Sources: Official game statistics, Domino's Men's Super League 2026-27, Round 1.
