Ireland finished the group stage in the FIBA Women’s European Championship for Small Countries with a comfortable 73-54 win over Cyprus at the Mardyke Arena last night.

The disappointment was clear to see in the Irish camp as Sarah Woods reflected on her team’s disappointing performance in last night’s defeat to Luxembourg.

It was a tough day out for the Ireland senior women’s and men’s teams today at their respective 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries, as they lost out to Luxembourg and Malta respectively.

Ireland 62 Norway 73

By the time Ireland tips off this evening against Norway in the FIBA Women’s European Championships for Small Countries (Mardyke, 6.15pm), team manager Grace O’Sullivan will have most of her work done.

Basketball stalwart Jimmy Diggins received a standing ovation when he was presented with Basketball Ireland President’s Award at the National Arena on Saturday.

Irish coach Mark Scannell admits the pressure is on to deliver Basketball’s European Championships for Small Countries in Cork next month — even though he suspects the hosts are third favourites at best.

He suffered heartache and bitter frustration in the dying moments of the National Cup final, but there was a tincture of consolation yesterday for passionate UCD Marian head coach Ioannis Liapakis, named SuperLeague coach of the year.

DCU Mercy 72 Ambassador UCC Glanmire 71: “Good game sense in the last few minutes,” reckoned DCU Mercy coach Mark Ingle.

DCU Mercy 72 UCC Ambassador Glanmire 71

Ireland’s Men’s and Women’s Senior Basketball teams secured semi-final berths at the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries yesterday with impressive victories on day two.

Ireland’s Women’s captain Orla O’Reilly has been ruled out of this week’s FIBA European Championships for Small Countries with a broken wrist.

Compared to Euro 2016, or the World U20 rugby final, or the decisive third test in South Africa, Ireland’s return to the international basketball arena seems like small potatoes. Perhaps it is. But it’s an important small step for the sport in this country, and for the women’s team preparing for the FIBA tournament in Gibraltar. Coach Mark Scannell put it in context.

The pre-eminent force in women’s basketball, Glanmire, provides four players to Ireland’s 12-person squad for the European Championships for Small Countries in Gibraltar next month.

Collegiate freshman at Quinnipiac University, Edel Thornton is one of five overseas inclusions in Mark Scannell’s provisional Senior Women’s squad for Ireland’s re-entry into international tournament play after a six-year hiatus.

C&S UCC Demons were crowned Men’s Premier league champions following an emphatic 112-83 win over UCD Marian at the Mardyke Arena yesterday.

Back for more punishment, all so that we can all have even more fun and rows, writes Kieran Shannon.

Team Montenotte and Killester will contest the Senior Women’s National Cup final following their respective semi-final wins over DCU Mercy and UL Huskies.

Team Montenotte 62 DCU Mercy 53

UCC Demons ended their Belfield hoodoo in style by trouncing UCD Marian 104-64 in the men’s Premier League on Saturday.

COACH Kevin Young says Shamrock Rovers Hoops will give high flying UCC Demons a big game when they meet tomorrow in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague semi-final clash at The Mardyke Arena.