THERE were tired bodies but high spirits as the Irish basketball team left Cork at 5am yesterday to put the finishing touches to their European championships semi-final round campaign with a final game against Bosnia in Sarajevo tomorrow night.

IT WAS always going to be close but it took two hours and 34 minutes and two periods of overtime for Ireland to achieve a five point victory over Cyprus in a European championship semi-final round tie at The Mardyke Arena in Cork last night.