France overpower a brave Irish performace
BRAVE EFFORT: France's Iliana Rupert with Claire Melia of Ireland. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
THIS was always minnows versus giants so no surprise that Ireland, ranked 73 places lower than the visiting world number sevens, lost their opening game in the 2025 Eurobasket qualifiers by over double figures.
Yet the harsh scoreline doesn’t do justice to the brave effort that James Weldon’s side put up early on against a team that included three WNBA players and were quarter-finalists in the 2022 World Cup.
Basketball Ireland’s decision to re-enter this level of European competition two years ago looked vindicated by an incredible start.
There was, remarkably, just a point between the sides (17-18) at the end of the first quarter and had Sorcha Tiernan’s buzzer-beater from half-way gone in, the women in green would actually have been leading.
James Weldon’s decision to call up Australia-based Jessica Scannell to her first green vest in 14 years also looked justified when she sank two brilliant early three-pointers, the second to give Ireland an unexpected 10-9 lead after 7 minutes.
France then pulled five-points clear but Liffey Celtic’s Tiernan produced a brilliant four-point play to leave that one point between them at the first break, really giving the Tallaght crowd plenty to shout about.
Their early defensive rebounding was also outstanding and things still looked promising when Scannell bagged a third ‘three’ soon after the re-start.
But then Leilia Lacan and Maia Hirsch ominously produced consecutive threes to start an unanswered run of 12 French points and Les Bleues shifted gear significantly.
Their phenomenal perimeter shooting and superior height simply overwhelmed Ireland 31-6 in the second quarter to put them 49-23 clear at half-time.
At that stage Ireland were still penetrating the paint but just couldn’t finish and even Claire Melia’s trademark hook shots were failing to drop.
The Killester star was still Ireland’s top-scorer, finishing on 16 points, six rebounds and three assists, followed by Scannell, the only other Irish player to hit double figures, including four of five three-point attempts in her 14 point tally.
The former Glanmire star certainly proved a great replacement for absent captain Edel Thornton (broken nose) and continued the fight to the end, even after collecting four fouls late in the third.
Starting point guard Tiernan didn’t look out of place either, constantly driving the offence and chipping in seven points while Irish-American Bridget Herlihy, the only Irish player who is a full-time professional (in Spain) scored eight points and topped Ireland’s rebounds (seven).
But they had no match for France’s fantastic accuracy, summed up by Janelle Saulan’s three-pointer to take them to the century with just seconds on the clock.
She scored 18 points and five rebounds but was actually outshone by Mamignan Toure who sank 20 points, including seven of nine long two-pointers, and she also contributed seven rebounds and five assists.
The visitors won the third quarter 31-12 (80-35) and, to Ireland’s credit, they only lost the fourth 13-20. France’s WNBA players – Iliana Rupert, Kadiatou Sissoko and Lou Lopez Senechal - were actually kept relatively quiet. The problem was that while the home side were busy holding down one geyser others kept popping up and gushing around them.
M Toure 20, J Salaun 18, L Lacan 13, MP Foppossi 12, P Astier 10.
C Melia 18, J Scannell 14, B Herlihy 8, S Tiernan 7.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
