• Home
• News

30 August 2026  3 min read

Great Britain 97-72 Slovakia: GB showmen go two for two

Backed by a sell-out crowd at Newcastle Eagles' Vertu Motors Arena, Marc Steutel’s men made the most of their shooting ability (nearly 40% from behind the arc) and their pressure defence (32 points off turnovers) to remain untroubled by the visitors for the majority of the game.

Joshua Uduje lead the GB scoring chart with 14 points, followed by Jelani Watson-Gayle on 13, shooting 50% from the three, and Myles Hesson and Tosan Evboumwan on 11 apiece – with the latter also picking up seven rebounds, three assists and four steals to put him top-of-the-pops for efficiency on 18 and backing up his impressive senior debut performance against Switzerland earlier in the week.

GB in control from the jump

GB remained largely unchanged from their 110-75 drubbing of Switzerland on Thursday, with only Dan Akin and Amin Adamu coming in for Sean Trumper and Jubrile Belo.

The Brits controlled the first half without much trouble.

Boston Celtics centre Amari Williams got things going in the first quarter with an early-two pointer after some intensive defence.

Hesson and Ellis linked up nicely to keep the rhythm in GB’s favour before Ellis and Luke Nelson hit two big threes to put GB up 29-17 to close out the first.

The second frame started where the first ended with a lovely defensive rip by Akin, who then got the ball back from Watson-Gayle to finish the move he started with a well adjusted lay-up for the two plus one more from the stripe to put GB up 16 (41-25).

From there, the quarter became contracted and slower the longer it wore on, with Slovakia’s 3-2 zone defence stifling GB’s inside game and briefly knocking them off their shooting.

It played dividends for the visitors, who were able to come back to within nine halfway through the frame and they finished it within 10 after a Joshua O'Garro foul gave Slovakia a three point play to end the half.

Statement alley oop from O’Garro

The third began with a big flush from Vladimir Brodziansky, who led all scorers for the visitors with 23, to bring Slovakia within seven.

But then as they did against Switzerland on Thursday, GB turned the screw.

A hattrick of twos from Ellis and four points from the stipe for Akin and Uduje, plus a big three by the ever-reliable Carl Wheatle, pushed the GB advantage back up to 16.

The shooting contest continued with a brace of Watson-Gayle threes at the end of the third to give the hosts their biggest lead of the game at 72-55.

With a statement alley oop from O’Garro assisted by Hesson in the opening minutes of the fourth, plus a ridiculous no-look pass from Williams to Flynn Boardman-Raffet for the reverse lay, GB had momentum on their side to see out the rest of the game in style.

In control, unruffled and reveling in being the showmen, Steutel’s new look team are looking the business.  

GB Men return to pre-qualifiers action in November where they’ll host Switzerland.

Box score

Gallery

Images FIBA