Luxembourg beats Ireland at the start of EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers

The Luxembourg national basketball team started their campaign in the preliminary qualification for the European Championship 2029 with an impressive 89:77 home win over Ireland, with a full house of 1,200 spectators at the Coque Hall in Kirchberg.

The main hero of the evening was Ben Kovac, who scored 38 points - almost half of the team total. By halftime, he had already scored 22 points and Luxembourg had a comfortable 47-37 lead. The game got off to a strong start, with the hosts jumping out to an immediate 26-11 lead after the first quarter.

However, the Irish were not going to give up. In the second half, they increased the pressure in the three-second zone, picked up rebounds and were able to close the gap with accurate long-range shots. At the start of the fourth quarter, the score was tied and the outcome of the game depended on the final minutes.

But it was at this point that Luxembourg showed character. Strong passes from Rugg and Kovac allowed the team to take the lead again and close the game in their favour. Oliver Vujakovic was the second leading scorer with 19 points.

Luxembourg's next match is already this Sunday, away against Azerbaijan at 15:00.