Athlone basketball star helps UUJ to success

AN Athlone native has played a major role in helping University of Ulster, Jordanstown, to victory in the 57th All-Ireland Intervarsities Basketball Championship. Ian McLoughlin, 23, from Iona Park, Athlone, was a key part of the team which defeated UCD in the final 85-73. UUJ also saw off the likes of University Limerick, IT Tallaght and Cork IT during the competition. Currently engaged in a one-year Masters in Sports Management, Ian also received an All-Star award at a function held in the Europa Hotel, Belfast, following the tournament. Speaking after the tournament, Ian said: 'The tournament went really well for us. We managed to coast through the group stage and out first real test came in the final. It was a smashing game against UCD but thankfully we won in the end.' Ian and his UUJ colleagues now turn their attentions to the All-Ireland Colleges League. UUJ are currently in the semi-finals and face University Limerick in the coming weeks. 'We are definitely hoping to make it a double. Hopefully the game against UL will go well and there"s no reason why it won"t. We are playing really well at the moment and have some very good players, so I think we should be able to go all the way,' Ian predicted.