“Once again we struggled in the physicality stakes and when you have one American trying to compete against two Americans and two Bosmans we are not competing on a level playing field.”

The mood in the Killorglin camp was buoyant as player coach Declan Wall praised his troops who looked doomed to relegation a month ago.

He said: “This was the best performance we have put in for the entire season and what a game to do it in, as neither side want to face the dreaded drop.

"I think the young lads Adam O’Donoghue and Eoin O’Sullivan excelled and I am thrilled with the shift the team put in as a unit."

Garvey’s Tralee Warriors were tested on their home court before eventually wearing down a stiff Maree resistance to run out comfortable 88-70 winners. The sides were tied at 44 points each at the break but the Warriors excelled in the second half with Paul Dick leading the charge on 26 points.

No doubt the Tralee Sports Complex will be full to capacity next weekend when leaders Templeogue are in town.

Templeogue produced champagne basketball to see off fellow Dublin rivals Killester 87-77 in a highly-charged game at the Oblate Hall Inchicore. The scoring was evenly spread for the leaders with five players on double figures for Templeogue whose coach Mark Keenan was thrilled with their intensity in this vital game.

Keenan said: “This game was always going to be a tough test for us, but I thought the lads relished the challenge and now we must find a way to win in Tralee next weekend.”

Moycullen are also in the relegation dogfight and they fell short at home when going down 91-82 to Belfast Star. The northerners led 41-35 at the break but they improved in the second half to run out comfortable winners with coach Adrian Fulton happy with the win.

He said: Losing to Tralee Warriors was a huge blow last week but all we can do at this stage of the season is concentrate on winning our remaining games.

Champions UCD Marian kept their title aspirations intact when a tremendous second half blitzed UCC Demons 95-64 after the sides were level at 44 points each at the break.

In the Women’s Super League there was a shock for champions-elect Courtyard Liffey Celtics when they lost at Fr Mathew’s 84-70 where Gráinne Dwyer led the scoring on 25 points.

The Kildare side were without American Breana Green whose season is finished following a cruciate injury picked up at home to Glanmire last week. Credit to Mathew’s they were also without their American Chantelle Alford as coach James Fleming praised his team for the way they saw off the champions.

Fleming said: “If we could win our remaining games there is every chance we could take the runner-up slot and that would be a major achievement in our first season competing at this level.”

WIT Wildcats shocked Ambassador UCC Glanmire 71-56 and Killester’s improvement continued when they saw off DCU Mercy 86-71.