Lithuania too strong for GB men

Lithuania too strong for GB men

by tuan.blogger.hettien ~ Thursday, August 27, 2009

Great Britain were handed another stern lesson in top-level European basketball as they lost 97-62 to Lithuania in the second game in the Seville tournament.

Andrew Betts led GB's scoring with 12 points and eight rebounds and Joel Freeland 10 points and seven rebounds.

GB made a terrible start to the game, trailing 28-9 after nine minutes and only briefly threatened a comeback.

The losing margin is the worst the team has suffered in 37 internationals under coach Chris Finch in four years.

Missing starting point guard Flinder Boyd, who turned an ankle against Spain, GB turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter against Lithuania's pressing defence.

The result was a 15-0 run for the former European champions, nine of the points from the free throw line and two of those from a technical after Finch showed dissent to the officials.


After losing the first quarter 28-10, Finch's side came back to within 10 points on a Freeland dunk after Nate Reinking, Betts and captain Andrew Sullivan combined for the team's first 13 points of the half.

Trailing 46-34 at the interval, GB started the second half with yet more turnovers.

Lithuania's 12-1 run gave them a 56-35 lead and although Jarret Hart came on to good effect, GB trailed by 20-plus points for most of the remainder of the match.

GB were hit with a 17-5 run to close the game after bringing on some of their less experienced bench players in the last four minutes.