USI Dublin Mariann beat Neptune 105:93 in the Superliga on Saturday evening. The hosts sealed a victory that nobody would have called certain before the opening tip. They had lost their last meeting between the two sides by five points and carried that memory into the arena.
The result completes a turnaround for the home side. They were on the wrong side of the same fixture on March 14th when Neptune edged them 117:112. This time they found a way through, and here's the thing — they did it without relying on any single player to carry the load.
We had backed the hosts at 57 per cent confidence and the prediction came good. The margin was narrower than the odds suggested, but Mariann kept their heads when Neptune pushed back. By then they had built enough of a cushion to weather the visitors' response.
Table position tells part of the story. USI Dublin Mariann sit sixth with ten wins from twenty-two games. Neptune remain in twelfth after seven victories. The gap between them is not as wide as the standings suggest, and this result narrowed it.
The visitors had shown signs of life in their last outing, beating CCYMS 81:78 on March 22nd. That win gave them momentum, but they could not carry it into the final quarter against a side that was determined to settle the score.
Mariann move closer to the play-off places with this victory. Neptune's run of form may have been building, but they found themselves outlasted on a night when the hosts refused to let go.
