Ireland defeated 71-56 by Uganda in second friendly game in Germany

Ireland senior women were unable to overturn yesterday’s defeat to Uganda, as the Gazelles ran out 71-56 winners in the final game of their friendly series in Keltern Dietlingen, Germany on Monday evening.  

WNBA draftee Paige Robinson finished the game with 23-points for Uganda, as Ireland’s attention now turns to friendlies against Denmark and the Netherlands at the National Basketball Arena on the 2^nd and 3^rd of August – with their next FIBA Women’s EuroBasket qualifying window in November looming larger on the horizon.

Looking to tie the series, Ireland started with intent. Mimi Clarke made her first three of the game with her first look and, aided by an Áine O’Connor layup soon after, Ireland had what would be their only lead of the game. It didn’t take long for the aforementioned Robinson to find her rhythm though. Her unerring accuracy along with Jannon Otto and Jane Asinde ensured Uganda finished the opening quarter 26-18 to the good despite some excellent defensive work by the Irish. 

The second quarter began with another Melia spin and lay-up, quickly followed by a Lauryn Homan bucket and Ireland looked to be building some momentum, closing the gap to six, 28-22. Minutes later, Melia found Mimi Clarke beyond the arc on the left hand side and the deficit was just three with under five minutes to go in the half.

Uganda have continually made defensive stops when they needed it most during the course of the two games though and it was no different here. The ever impressive Robinson proved the beneficiary, as she ended the first half with a 14-point haul to ensure her side returned to the locker room with  a 43-27 lead.  

Head coach James Weldon turned to his bench extensively in the third. Amy Dooley saw her first minutes of the game, while Annalise Murphy, Abigail Rafferty and Ella O’Donnell also gained more valuable minutes against the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket quarter-finalists. O’Donnell didn’t waste time getting her name into the box score, finding some room on the pivot to drain a mid-range jumper, while Claire Melia stamped her class on the series by cementing a second double-double with a six-point, six-rebound period.

They proved to be the highlights for James Weldon’s side however, Robinson and Asinde both picked up where they left off in the first-half for Uganda. They had combined for 34-points as the buzzer sounded with Ireland trailing 60-39.

Ireland rallied well, outscoring their opponents 17-11 in the final quarter. Amy Dooley and Kate Hickey contributed 7-points between them, with O’Donnell and Homan also adding to their totals with a pair of jumpers at the midway point. Alex Mulligan became the final player deployed from the bench by coach Weldon and she brought further energy to proceedings as the game ebbed to a 71-56 win for Uganda at the close of play. 

"It was a very physical game and I am immensely proud of the intensity shown on defence and the big improvement on rebounding from game one," said head coach James Weldon. "Unfortunately we struggled against the aggressive ball pressure at certain points in the game, but it was great to see us adapt and manage that pressure better in the second-half. We have a few more players to join the squad next week as we prepare for Netherlands and Denmark, two games we are really looking forward to," he added.

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Quarter Scores: Q1: 26-18, Q2: 43-27, Q3: 60-39, Q4: 71-56

Ireland:

Enya Maguire (3), Annalise Murphy (2), Sorcha Tiernan (2), Lauryn Homan (4) Kate Hickey (3), Michelle Clarke (8), Ella O’Donnell (6), Áine O’Connor (11), Claire Melia (11), Abigail Rafferty (2), Amy Dooley, (4), Alex Mulligan (0).

Uganda:

Priscilla Abey (4), Lydia Babirye (10), Leslie Vorphal (8), Sheila Lamunu (0), Shakira Nanvubya (3), Mary Moses Amaniyo (0), Hope Akelo (3), Jannon Otto (7), Sharon Kirabo (0), Becky Longom (0), Paige Robinson (23), Jane Asinde (13).