Eagles fall short on the road at Maree

Limerick lost 89-76 in Galway, undone by a cold night for everyone outside the top two scorers.

Limerick Sport Eagles were beaten 89-76 away to Maree, a result that turned on scoring that dried up beyond the front line. Ryan Leonard and Alex Carlisle carried almost the entire load, and when the supporting cast could not chip in, the gap was too much to close on the road.

Leonard was the one bright spark, pouring in 27 points on 7-of-12 from three. Carlisle backed him with 22 points, four steals and two threes of his own, but the pair scored 49 of the team's 76 between them. Toby Christensen ran the offence with nine assists to go with seven rebounds, though his shot would not drop, and the bench managed little.

The Eagles never found a third reliable scorer on the night, and Maree made them pay. Darragh Horkan added six points and seven boards, with Sean Morrissey hitting a pair of threes off the bench.

It is a first away defeat to digest, and one that leaves Limerick needing a quick response. Attention turns to National Cup action next.