Ireland pick up impressive 79-64 away win over Azerbaijan in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Pre-Qualifiers

Ireland concluded their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Pre-Qualifying campaign with an impressive 79-64 away win over Azerbaijan. It sees Ireland finish with a 3-3 record in Group A and in line for a second-placed finish, with Kosovo hosting Group A winners Switzerland in Pristina later on Sunday. 

Ireland led this game in Baku from start to finish and got off to an early 4-0 lead through baskets from Kyle Hosford and John Carroll in the opening minute. Captain Sean Flood began this contest brightly, his second from three point line helped put Ireland 12-8 up midway through the opening quarter. Their advantage was five points by the end of the first, 21-16, following a pair of Flood free throws. 

Ireland’s lead was 11 by the end of the second quarter, 41-30, thanks to a five-point run at the finish, Neal Quinn bagging a layup and jump shot, either side of Flood’s free throw. Flood had 16 points by half-time, with Quinn on eight.

Azerbaijan made a blistering start to the third quarter - Endar Poladkhanli’s layup was swiftly followed by a Shirzad Shirzadov three to cut the gap to six, 41-35, a minute in. Neal Quinn’s floating jump shot got Ireland off the mark in the third quarter. Azerbaijan continued to make inroads and were within three points with three and a half minutes to go, 48-45, following a six point run - another Shirzadov three, along with Kamran Mammadov’s driving layup and free throw. That Azerbaijani scoring sequence was snapped by a timely Jordan Blount deep three, to see Ireland 51-45 up. Another three, this time from Matt Treacy, helped Ireland into a 54-49 by the end of the third.

Jordan Blount finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 8 turnovers in FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Pre-Qualifiers game with Azerbaijan in Baku.

Azerbaijan got within six points, 59-53, in the final quarter following a pair of Donat Hall free throws three minutes in. Ireland responded decisively with back-to-back three’s courtesy of Blount and Flood, to put them 65-53 up midway through the fourth. Rapolas Buivydas made a telling six point contribution in the closing stages, his third driving layup had Ireland 77-62 to the good with a little over a minute to go, to make it a comfortable finish to the game.

Speaking after the 79-64 win, Ireland head coach Mark Keenan said: “It’s not easy to come here and get back up after Thursday’s game, but credit to the lads, they were very composed. They rattled us a little bit with the zone at the start of the second half, but we steadied the ship and we managed to keep that cushion. They got within four, but we responded then, so it was great to be able to close it out with a little less pressure on in the last minute”

Reflecting on Ireland’s first ever FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifying campaign, Keenan added: “We are a little disappointed not to get that playoff spot (to reach the second round of FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers), but we can be proud of going 3-3, finishing second in the group, it’s steps forward for us again as a group with guys coming into the squad and some guys missing, so it bodes well for the future.”

Quarter Scores:

Q1: 16-21, Q2: 14-20, Q3: 19-13, Q4: 15-25

Game Scores:

Q1: 16-21, Q2: 30-41, Q3: 49-54, Q4: 64-79

Ireland:

Adrian O’Sullivan (0), James Hannigan (0), David Lehane (0), Rapolas Buivydas (6), Sean Jenkins (0), Sean Flood (23), Conor Quinn (0), Jordan Blount (13), John Carroll (13), Matt Treacy (3), Kyle Hosford (5) Neal Quinn (16).

Switzerland:

Akbar Mammadov (7), Orhan Haciyeva (5), Ulas Turgut (7), Elshad Shirzadov (2), Jabrayil Akbarov (2), Amil Hamzayev (0), Kamran Mammadov (7), Derin Berkoz (0), Saadettin Donat (0), Endar Poladkhanli (9), Donta Hall (11), Shirzad Shirzadov (14).

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers Results:

Sunday 23^rd February 2025

Azerbaijan 64-79 Ireland

Thursday 20^th February 2025

Switzerland 85-54 Ireland

Sunday 24^th November 2024

Ireland 91-85 Kosovo

Thursday 21st November 2024

Ireland 91-67 Azerbaijan

Sunday 25^th February 2024

Ireland 63-86 Switzerland

Thursday 22^nd February 2024

Kosovo 83-76 Ireland