EUROBASKET QUALIFIERS

Rasid Mahalbasic had 14 points and 6 rebounds as Austria recorded thi second win against Cyprus

Whilst the odds of reaching EuroBasket 2013 still looked heavily stacked against Austria, they kept themselves on the fringe of the race in Group C with a comfortable 77-52 win against Cyprus.

Always on the front foot after an impressive 24-14 first quarter, Austria made no mistake in dispatching their opponents who continue to search for a first victory after five games.

Any chance Cyprus had of launching a fruitful revival and fighting back was more or less extinguished by the hosts in the second period when they locked down the Cypriot offence to hold them to a paltry eight points.

That meant Austria had established a 38-22 advantage at the midway point of the game and any revival by the visitors looked unlikely - especially with their tendency to turn the ball over far too easily.

In the end, it was all too comfortable for Austria who took their foot off the accelerator slightly in the third quarter but made the game completely safe by turning up their defence again in the final period.

Thomas Klepeisz led the way with 15 points, including three treys.