John Carroll (centre) in action for Ireland
Ireland suffered a 92-91 defeat to Armenia in the LA International Basketball Cup which saw Mark Keenan’s men finish the series 1-1 in California on Monday.
The men in green held a six-point advantage in the first quarter before losing by the minimum in the second game of the competition, which was held in advance of November’s World Cup qualifiers.
In the previous game, John Carroll returned from international retirement in a gritty 64-60 win over Guatemala in Cal State University in the small hours of Sunday morning.
The 29-year-old had previously called time on his involvement after his second ACL injury on the same leg, but returned to help edge an opening victory.
Keenan also handed debuts to UCC Demons’ National Cup winner Seán Jenkins and Massachusetts-born Eamonn Joyce during the tournament.
Ireland’s attentions now switch to welcoming Azerbaijan and Kosovo to Dublin in November’s World Cup qualifying window.