IRELAND’S HOPES OF reaching the FIBA EuroBasket qualifiers have been dashed after they suffered a 95-61 defeat to Croatia in the pre-qualifiers.
The loss, in front a sold-out National Basketball Arena, means they can now only secure second spot in Group G ahead of their final game with Luxembourg in the same venue next Saturday.
Ireland managed to make a game of it until the end of the second quarter, with Lorcan Murphy, in particular causing problems, scoring 12 points in the opening 20 minutes.
The hosts made a great start to the second quarter with Murphy to the fore. He started with two free throws and then got the Irish crowd on their feet with a fast break and dunk to make it 20-16.
Dario Dreznjak’s three followed, but the pacy Templeogue-club man had momentum and his layup saw Ireland 23-18 down 90 seconds into the quarter.
Next up to the plate for Ireland was vice captain Sean Flood, his three-point jump shot followed by a layup after getting through traffic and Ireland were within two points, trailing 25-23, 3’10 into the second quarter.
It prompted a Croatian timeout and as expected a reaction came, with nice unanswered points from the world number 25 side. Murphy snapped that run with a layup to see Ireland 34-25 behind, Murphy’s tally at 10 points by that stage.
CJ Fulton was getting his eye in, a long range three, followed by a steal and layup from the point guard and Ireland were 36-30 behind with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter.
Danko Brankovic tested the stability of the basket with a thunderous dunk to put Croatia 40-30 up. It would be 42-34 by half-time, a set play with 5.7 seconds remaining saw Murphy power through for a layup.
It was a slow start to the third quarter, a Badmus three from the corner brought Ireland within five points once more, 44-39 behind, four minutes in.
The dangerous Dario Dreznjak showed his quality with a trio of threes to put Croatia in control, 56-39, with a little over two minutes to go in the third quarter. John Carroll’s three offered some respite with 1’16” to go, to trail 57-42, but Croatia led 63-42 by the end of the quarter.
Ireland captain John Carroll got Ireland’s first points of the fourth quarter with another three, but at the other end Croatia were ruthless from the three-point line, Mateo Dreznjak and Borna Kapusta converting, to give them a 71-45 advantage.
Croatia were not to be caught, but Ireland still finished with a flourish, thanks to back-to-back threes in the final minute from Conor O’Sullivan, on his home debut, and Conor Quinn, as it finished 95-61.
“Obviously we are disappointed right at the end with the scoreline. We hung with them for a lot of that game, the first half was really competitive.
“Our aim, one of our things today was to compete and we really competed in that first half, but second half when we made a mistake or turned the ball over we were just punished heavily,” Ireland head coach Mark Keenan said.
“We lacked a little bit of discipline, fouling guys on three point shots and that’s something we’ve emphasised, because we’ve done it too much in this window.
“So initially it’s disappointing, but looking at the big picture and the overall and how good Croatia are and how we competed in that first half, for 25 minutes out of the 40, so really happy with that, just a bit disappointed with the scoreline at the end.”
