Limerick Celtics beat the Eagles 85–76 in the Limerick derby at the UL Sport Arena on Friday night. Aaron Rhooms scored 30 points, and the Eagles cut a 16-point half-time gap to five in the third quarter, but Celtics never gave up the lead. It is the Eagles' first defeat of the season, and both clubs are now three wins from four.
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Celtics were the home side and they started like it. They scored the first seven points, and although the Eagles got within two at 18–16 and 21–19, Celtics led 23–19 after the first quarter. The second quarter was theirs. Celtics went from 23–19 to 41–24, their biggest lead of the night, and they were 48–32 up at half-time.
The Eagles came out of the break with a 13–2 run and got it back to 50–45. That was as close as it got. Celtics answered with nine points in a row, but the Eagles kept coming, and a three in the last seconds of the third quarter made it 65–56. Celtics pulled away again early in the fourth quarter and led 76–60. The Eagles got it back to nine at 76–67 but could get no closer.
The game was won inside and on the glass. Celtics made 26 of their 36 two-point shots and scored 52 points inside the arc to the Eagles' 26. They had 45 rebounds to the Eagles' 31, and 12 of them were offensive. Peter Turay scored 23 points on nine of 12 shooting with 16 rebounds, seven of them offensive. Tiras Morton had 15 points on six of seven, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and Sebastian Cole scored 17 with nine assists.
The Eagles made more threes, 11 to Celtics' six, and more free throws, 17 of 21 to 15 of 20, but shot 37 per cent from the field, 24 of 65. Both teams had 23 assists, and the Eagles made 12 steals to Celtics' ten.
Rhooms finished with 30 points on 12 of 22 shooting, with four threes and six rebounds. Ryan Leonard had 16 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals, and made five of six from the line. Alex Carlisle scored 14 with seven assists and three threes. Toby Christensen made both his shots from the field and seven free throws for 11 points, with seven rebounds and three steals. Darragh Horkan had seven rebounds and six assists and did not turn the ball over.
Thank you to everyone who came out in blue on Friday night and made so much noise. We are back at the same arena on Sunday 25 October at 3pm against Sligo All-Stars, and we need you there again. Tickets for the Sligo game are on sale now, or pay on the door.
Score by quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick Eagles | 19 | 13 | 24 | 20 | 76 |
| Limerick Celtics | 23 | 25 | 17 | 20 | 85 |
Eagles box score
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Rhooms | 30 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Ryan Leonard | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Alex Carlisle | 14 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Toby Christensen | 11 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Darragh Horkan | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Aleksandar Kovacevic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Daniel Shahab | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean Ryan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Team totals: 13 of 29 from two, 11 of 36 from three, 17 of 21 free throws, 31 rebounds (6 offensive), 23 assists, 12 steals, 1 block, 14 turnovers. Celtics: 26 of 36 from two, 6 of 34 from three, 15 of 20 free throws, 45 rebounds (12 offensive), 23 assists, 10 steals, 4 blocks, 15 turnovers. Final score: Limerick Celtics 85–76 Limerick Eagles.
Minutes were not recorded for this game. Players without a recorded statistic are not listed.
Sources: Official game statistics, Domino's Men's Super League 2026-27, Round 4.
