We must go to Denmark in positive mood, says Bowdler

CAL BOWDLER believes Ireland has what it takes to reach European basketball’s elite with victory in Denmark tomorrow.

Ireland’s senior men take on Denmark in Aarhus, defending a 14-point lead going into the second leg of their Division A play-off having defeated the Danes 80-66 last Saturday at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin.

An aggregate victory would be enough to propel the Irish into the big leagues for the first time, pitting them against European powerhouses like Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Russia and Croatia next season.

Yet former Atlanta Hawk Bowdler, 28, insists that the Irish cannot afford to simply hang on and hope to lose by less than 14 points.

“We have to treat this as a one-off game,” Bowdler said. “If we go into this counting the points it would be the wrong approach.

“When the Slovakians came to Dublin [earlier this month, needing to lose by less than 13 points] they fell into that trap and it’s easy to do.

“This is a mental battle and we have to think only about winning. If we’re leading by one point with three minutes to go it won’t matter we’ll be looking to finish off the game with a victory.

“Whether we win by one point or 30, the victory is the only point of the exercise. Our attitude is great, spirits are high and we’re very confident.”

Bowdler more than adequately made light of Pat Burke’s absence on NBA duty with the Phoenix Suns by contributing 12 points and a lot of solid defending in the first leg and the Virginian knows coach Fitzpatrick will be looking to him for a repeat performance in Aarhus.

“This will be a very physical game and we will have to be tough because the Danes are very strong and physical. They push you a lot and throw their elbows into you but that could be to our advantage. We have a lot of experienced players who are capable of playing through that physicality.”

Bowdler, coach Gerry Fitzpatrick and the rest of the Ireland squad may be trying to resist the temptation to stay focused on the task at hand but the American-born 6’ 10’’ forward admitted that the tantalising prospect of top-flight basketball is difficult to keep at arm’s length.

“Obviously it’s at the back of our minds and we know that this next game is our last one for a year, so we’ll have an entire year to relish a victory. To make it to that level, which is pretty much the top level in world basketball would be really something.

“We belong at that level and just to say that is phenomenal, not just for us as players but for the whole sport in Ireland.”

Fiztpatrick’s squad is fully fit as the coach completes his final preparations in Denmark’s second city with Viola Reggio Calabria forward Conor Grace overcoming a midweek stomach bug and Nyon, Switzerland-based forward Chris Bracey recovering from an ankle knock.

Like many of his international team-mates Bowdler plies his trade in Europe, suiting up in Italian division one with Varese.

A 1999 graduate from Old Dominion with a degree in sports medicine, he was a first-round pick in the NBA draft and played for the Hawks for three seasons, which makes his view on what success this weekend will mean all the more telling.

“This is so much better than any normal season playing professionally,” Bowdler said. “During the pro seasons we’re just doing our job, playing for the money, but there’s no money to play for here and that’s what will make winning this game so much sweeter. We’re playing for Ireland and for the people of Ireland and the whole scope of what that means.

“That’s what makes it so much easier to focus on what we have to do on Saturday afternoon.”