Sport

Claire Melia’s European basketball dream still alive after narrow first-leg defeat

Kildare star contributes 12 points in Baxi Ferrol’s 78-75 home leg defeat to Villeneuve d’Ascq

Claire Melia in action for Ireland against Romania at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Photograph: Inpho/Ben Brady
Claire Melia in action for Ireland against Romania at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Photograph: Inpho/Ben Brady
Thu Mar 27 2025 - 10:29

Irish basketball star Claire Melia and her Spanish team Baxi Ferrol kept their European dreams alive in the EuroCup final when only suffering a three-point defeat in the first leg on Wednesday night.

However, opponents Villeneuve d’Ascq LM are bidding to become only the fourth club in the competition’s history to lift the title more than once and will be clear favourites going into the second leg back in France on April 2nd.

[ Claire Melia and her Baxi Ferrol adventure ]

Melia contributed 12 points to her Spanish side’s total in front of a home crowd. The 6’3” 25-year-old, who played minor football for Kildare before committing to basketball, also made four rebounds and provided six assists.