Mark Woods

Star of the Sea have ended a superb season of success on a high, lifting their third Championship in succession to add to their Superleague crown. In the final, Star overcame a tired looking Denny Notre Dame 92-74 to claim victory at Neptune stadium in Cork.

The Belfast side started the stronger, looking every inch the best team in the island, and benefiting from a longer rest period than their final opponents following Saturday's semi-finals. MVP Gareth Maguire called the shots on his way to 23 points and his side gained a comfortable 45-33 lead at half time. In the second half, Denny persisted but looked largely incapable of denting Star's lead and with Chuck Guittar adding 18 points on what could be his last appearance in Ireland, Danny Fulton's team cruised home for the 18 point victory. Randall Mounts was the sole bright spark for the Dubliners with 27 points.

Star GM Bill McCotter was delighted with the result and paid special tribute to Maguire. "Gareth has been outstanding. To outscore the American in both games is something special and he has had a terrific second half of the season. It's a great win for the club." Both Leahy and Guittar now head for Australia for the summer, while a final decision by coach Danny Fulton on his plans for the future is expected shortly.

In just their first season in senior basketball, Waterford Crystal gained deserved consolation for their narrow title miss by destroying Division One champions Sligo Dairies 90-68 in their championship decider. An outstanding display by young Irish star Dean Kavanagh made the difference for Waterford, as an under-strength Sligo team ran out of team. American Trent Forbes asserted his offensive skills for a game high 36 points, gaining him the MVP award. For Sligo, Terry Smith ended a positive season on 24 points.

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