Luxembourg 89-77 Ireland
Ireland fell to a 89-77 defeat to Luxembourg in their FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers opener at Centre National Sportif and Culturel d'Coque.
Ireland trailed by 18 points at one stage in the first half, but battled back to lead by four in the final quarter, before a strong finish from the home side saw them take victory.
New Ireland head coach Michael Bree said his team's performance in the last three quarters is "something to build on".
Taiwo Badmus led the scoring for Ireland with 24 points, but a clinical shooting performance from Luxembourg’s Ben Kovac proved to be difference, as he tallied 38 points for the victors. He was backed up by Olivier Vujakovic, who shot 5/7 from the three-point line to end on 19 points.
Neal Quinn got the opening score of the game with a layup, but eight points from Kovac helped the home side establish an early 8-3 lead. Jordan Blount’s three point jump shot at the top of the arc settled things for Ireland.
However Kovac’s third three had Luxembourg 18-8 up with six minutes gone, Kovac with 13 points at that stage. Luxembourg rattled off five more points, before their streak was ended by Sam Alajiki’s three, to see Ireland trail 23-11. Luxembourg were clinical from the three point line in the opening quarter, converting 54% of their attempts, another from Max Logelin helped Luxembourg to a 26-11 first quarter lead.
A three from Ireland captain Sean Flood opened proceedings in the second quarter, but Luxembourg were 33-15 up three minutes in, following another three from the potent Kovac. Ireland responded with a 12-point run to drag themselves back into it, including a lovely deep three from Blount in the middle of it, while Flood rattled off seven points in the sequence, to leave it poised at 33-27.
Sam Alajiki's dunk with three minutes to go in the second quarter made it a five-point game, 34-29. A neat corner three from Badmus saw Ireland 41-37 behind, but a pair of Kovac layup’s either side of Ivan Delgado’s basket had Luxembourg up by 10 at the break, 47-37. Kovac’s tally at 22 by half-time.
An Alajiki three gave Ireland the perfect start to the third quarter. Debutant Matt Zona’s putback and a basket from Sean Jenkins had Ireland within three, 59-56. With two minutes to go a Zona three made it a two-point game 61-59. A Rapolas Buivydas layup had Ireland level at 61 apiece, before Vujakovic’s three edged Luxembourg 64-61 ahead by the end of the third quarter.
Ireland hit the front for the first time since the opening basket, 65-64, following back-to-back scores by Badmus and Buivydas in the opening minute of the fourth. Three’s from Flood, Badmus and Zona followed, to help Ireland into a 74-70 lead three minutes in, the prolific Kovac dispatching two three’s of his own in that spell for Luxembourg, to keep them very much in it.
A Badmus layup with 6’45" to go had Ireland 76-72 up, before Luxembourg went on a 10-point run. Vujakovic’s fifth from three point line, nudged them back in front, 77-76, with Kovac and Clancy Rugg also getting on the scoresheet after that. A Badmus free throw broke the home side’s streak, albeit briefly.
A corner three from Philippe Gutenkauf with a minute to go made it 87-77, but the final say came from Kovac, who dispatched two free throws to wrap up victory.
"The start was really, really difficult for us, I don’t think we were ready at the start," reflected head coach Bree.
"We made an adjustment, we came back, we fought back to get the lead, I thought we were in the right spot, but being down by so much, I think 18 points – it’s such a big gap to recover emotionally and energy-wise, we just couldn’t do it today.
"We showed what we could do in the last three quarters in the game, it doesn’t matter, but we won it. It is something to build on, we are three days into what we’re trying to do."
Ireland host top seeds North Macedonia in their next Group A fixture at a sold-out National Basketball Arena on Sunday.
Game Scores:
Q1: 26-11, Q2: 47-37, Q3: 64-61, Q4: 89-77
Luxembourg: Malcolm Kreps (4), Dino Ceman (0), Max Logelin (3), Philippe Gutenkauf (12), Alex Laurent (0), Joe Kalmes (0), Ben Kovac (38), Davy David Rocha (0), Oliver Vujakovic (19), Christopher Jack (DNP), Clancy Rugg (11), Ivan Delgado (2)
Ireland: Adrian O’Sullivan (2), Rapolas Buivydas (9), Sean Jenkins (2), Sean Flood (15), Jordan Blount (6), John Carroll (DNP), Max Amadasun (DNP), Taiwo Badmus (24), Matt Treacy (DNP), Matt Zona (8), Neal Quinn (2), Sam Alajiki (9)
FIBA EuroBasket 2029 Pre-Qualifiers Fixtures
Sunday 30 November: Ireland v North Macedona, 5pm, National Basketball Arena
Friday 27 February 2026: Ireland v Azebaijan, 7.30om, National Basketball Arena
Monday 2 March 2026: Ireland v Luxembourg, 5pm, National Basketball Arena
Thursday 2 July 2026: North Macedonia v Ireland, Venue/Time TBC
Sunday 5 July 2026: Azerbaijan v Ireland, Venue/Time TBC
