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No. 6 Irish Blow Out Boilers, 102-58

No. 6 Irish Blow Out Boilers, 102-58

Shock Defeat In Dublin

An under-strength Irish team lost 102-58 to France in Dublin on Saturday in their final warm-up match, before the FIBA World Cup. The Irish started brightly, but the game was effectively over as a contest by the end of the first quarter, as France took a 27-12 lead.

Blow Out

Ireland were without injured captain, Jason Killeen and his replacement Ciaran Roe also missed the game through illness. France were quick to take advantage of the weakened Irish side and led by 21 at the break, 53-32.

Ireland Improvements Needed

That lead stretched to 35 points at one stage in the third quarter, and while Ireland came back somewhat, they still lost by 44 points in the end, 102-58. Coach John Treacy will be concerned about a number of aspects of his team's performance, particularly their lack of defensive intensity and their poor shooting both inside and out.

Ireland will now travel to China for the World Cup, where they will play South Korea in their opening game on September 1.