They will still need results away to Switzerland and Azerbaijan in February to have a chance of making the next round, with the first-placed and best second-placed teams advancing.
But Mark Keenan’s men kept their hopes alive last night thanks largely to their two professionals plying their trade in Europe, with Neal Quinn (Aix Maurienne Savoie Basket) hitting 23 points and Seán Flood (London Lions) 21.
Quinn enjoyed his best day in green by also registering 13 rebounds in the arena, having moved to France to play in that country’s second tier earlier this season.
Flood, who has endured an inconsistent time with the British champions, showed his class with 49 points across this international window.
Ireland head coach Keenan was full of praise for his charges after this victory.
“Delighted, we have won two out of two now going into February and now it’s all about then,” he said.
“When have we ever won two games back-to-back here? I think you’d have to look back to the FIBA European Championship for Small Countries, so it’s a great week for us, for the team, at the level we played.
“I think tonight we got to the highest level we played, but maybe not for as long as we did on Thursday [against Azerbaijan], and Kosovo put it up to us as well; they are tough.”
In the reverse fixture last February, Ireland couldn’t close out the deal in Pristina during an 83-76 defeat, but this time they managed to hold back a Kosovo fightback after the visitors’ slow start.
Much like their victory over Azerbaijan during the week, they were quickest out of the traps here, with John Carroll hitting two three-pointers to help Ireland into a 24-12 first-quarter advantage.
Three minutes into the second quarter, the visitors fought back with a corner three from captain Dardan Berisha and jump shot from Gezim Morina which saw Kosovo get within six points, trailing 27-21.
Ireland called a timeout and returned with a three from Flood. A Quinn hook shot and Carroll lay-up followed not long afterwards and they were 34-23 ahead.
Kosovo continued to have joy from long range and back-to-back threes made it an eight-point game, 37-29, and they had narrowed the gap to five by half-time, with Ireland leading 42-37.
The hosts got off to the perfect start to the third quarter, Flood’s long-range three among their points, and the captain would bring his personal tally to 21 points by the start of the final quarter, with Ireland 73-58 in front.
They withstood a late Kosovo rally when the visitors finished with a nine-point run completed by a Rron Ukaj dunk, but it was Ireland’s night.
Their attention now turn to their final group games against Switzerland and Azerbaijan away in February
“They will be very tough. The lads will be up for it, big time. Next thing we think about will be Switzerland, that’s the next focus – how we can get the win over there,” Keenan added.