Ireland men's and women's teams impress at FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup qualifier

Ireland senior men’s 3x3 team just missed out on a place in September’s FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup finals, after an agonising 20-16 defeat to Azerbaijan in the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier final in Limassol, Cyprus.

Ireland’s senior women also put in an impressive performance to reach the semi-finals, before a 21-10 defeat to Luxembourg ended their tournament. 

Sean Flood in action against Azerbaijan in the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier final in Limassol, Cyprus

Ireland’s senior men topped their group thanks to two wins on Saturday, a 21-10 over Albania and 21-13 against Kosovo. Next up for Colin O’Reilly’s side was hosts Cyrpus in the last four. Another strong defensive display saw Ireland come out on top 21-13. The Irish team, comprising of John Carroll, Jordan Blount, Sean Flood and Cian Heaphy once again performed brilliantly in the final, but were ultimately edged out by four points by Azerbaijan.

Ireland senior men’s 3x3 head coach, Colin O’Reilly, said:

"Fantastic performance by the lads. They grew into the 3x3 style of play over the two days and were within a couple of made shots away from winning the tournament. With a long-term view, it was great to see such commitment from four players that were heavily involved in the senior teams’ success and help grow Ireland’s 3x3 presence in Europe.”

🎙 “A big take-out was just that you have to go ‘next-play mentality’. You’re forced to do it with a 12 second shot clock.’@Johnboy_5c’s thoughts on the @FIBA3x3 Europe Cup qualifier action in Cyprus over the weekend, as well as looking forward to more international action. ☘️ pic.twitter.com/OBzMPuDCMi

— Basketball Ireland (@BballIrl) June 6, 2022

Ireland’s senior women’s team, comprising of Gráinne Dwyer, Fiona O’Dwyer, Enya Maguire and Lynn Tunnah also finished first in their group, defeating Kosovo 16-13 and losing narrowly to Andorra, 15-13. It meant that Paul Kelleher’s side went directly to the semi-finals, where they couldn’t get past Luxembourg.

Gráinne Dwyer playing for Ireland's 3x3 senior women's team in FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier

Ireland senior women’s 3x3 head coach, Paul Kelleher, said of the competition:

“The team performed well over the games played. Starting well by beating Kosovo, it all came down to a few details here and there at this level. There is a different skill set required for 3x3 and the team showed they understand what that is. There is a lot there to build on for future campaigns.”