Ireland’s U20’s beat Hungary 66-55 to finish 9th at the U20 European Championship.
The side, coached by Kerry's Paudie Fleming, with two Kingdom players in Leeroy Odiahi and Rapolas Buivydas, won five of their six matches, and just missed out on the quarter-finals on points difference.
Ireland won two of their three group games and just missed out on the quarter-finals on points difference, but they responded from that disappointment in style, with three wins in a row to claim 9th spot.
Ireland, who beat Hungary by two points in their opening game of the tournament, repeated the feat on Sunday. CJ Fulton’s three point jump shot opened Ireland’s account just before the midpoint of the opening quarter, to trail 4-3. It was Hungary who led, 15-12, at the end of the first.
However Ireland’s U20’s have displayed battling qualities throughout this competition and roared back in the second quarter and had the slenderest of margins at the break, ahead 33-32. CJ Fulton led the scoring with 11 points by half-time.
Rapolas Buivydas, who scored a game-high 18 points, was making his presence felt, he slotted a three point jump shot with a little over two minutes to go in the third, to open up a four-point gap, 45-41, but their advantage would be two points by the end of the third, 47-45.
A Buivydas dunk midway through the fourth quarter, followed by a Robert Graham three point jump shot established a 58-48 lead, as Ireland pulled away in the final quarter. They’d outscore their opponents 19-10 in the fourth, to run out 66-55 winners.
There were several outstanding performances, among them Fulton finished with 16 points, four assists and two steals, while Killian Gribben had six points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and Buivydas had seven assists to go with his 18 points.
Head coach Paudie Fleming said: “It was a tough game. All that mattered is that we were +1 at the end and thankfully we did that and more. I thought our defensive execution at times tonight was nothing short of incredible and it highlights the effort and application that these guys always strive to show.
“This is an incredible group of players. They had every reason to fold after the group stages, but they didn't. They showed resilience, discipline and most of all, togetherness. We have been preaching the only way we go 9th is if we go there together and that is what we did. We finished with the second best record of the tournament at 5-1. I have no doubt that these guys will be the backbone of our senior team for years to come. I am so excited for not just them, but all the other teams to come after them. They have changed expectations with the highest finish by a men's team and this now becomes our new normal. Irish basketball is in a great place and it's exciting to think about what is yet to come!”
Scores (Ireland v Hungary):
Q1: 12-15 (12-15)
Q2: 21-17 (33-32)
Q3: 14-13 (47-45)
Q4: 19-10 (66-55)
Top 5 scorers:
Ireland – Rapolas Buivydas (18), CJ Fulton (16), Sam Alajiki (10), Robert Graham (9), Killian Gribben (6)
Hungary – Abel Sovegjarto (10), Barna Toth (9), Balazs Kass (8), David Kiss (8), Dez Andras Tanoh (5)
Ireland – Sam Alajiki (10), Darragh Ferguson (0), Jamie Muldowney (2), Leeroy Odiahi (3), Jake Verschoyle (2) Rapolas Buivydas (18), CJ Fulton (16), Robert Graham (9), Killian Gribben (6), Eli Lenihan (0), Sean McCarthy (0), Michael O’Mahony (0)
Hungary – Balazs Kass (8), Bence Neuwirth (0), Mark Paar (2), Izsak Simon Tarjan (2), Barna Toth (9), Domonkos Karman (4), David Kiss (8), Bence Kollar (3), Akos Bence (0), Gerzson Radics (4), Abel Sovegjarto (10), Dez Andras Tanoh (5)
