Italy 84-75 Great Britain: Improved showing falls short in Livorno
Great Britain fell to 1-3 in Group D of the European World Cup 2027 Qualifiers despite a much-improved performance against Italy in Livorno.
Coach Marc Steutel's men men rallied from their loss in Newcastle on Friday night against the same opponents to push their hosts all the way before going down 84-75.
Point guard Quinn Ellis' presence played a significant role in GB's uplifted output after the Milan-based talent missed the home leg in the North East.
He led the team with 19 points and six assists - but it was part of a much better all-round team showing that saw GB's other Italian-based player, captain Carl Wheatle, hit 15 and claim five rebounds and Myles Hesson record a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards.
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Ultimately, the Italians proved too strong however, with the irrepressible Saliou Niang their leading scorer with 23 and seven rebounds.
In a game that was tied 12 times and in which the lead changed hands seven times, GB held their own until the hosts pulled away in the fourth quarter.
It was level at 21 at the end of the first and Italy held a five-point advantage going into the third (43-38) and fourth (64-59) before their final push.
GB must regroup now for their final group games against Lithuania (a) and Iceland (h) in July.
Press conference
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