Iceland Dent GB's Qualification Hopes with 4th Quarter Surge - Hoopsfix.com

Iceland Dent GB’s Qualification Hopes with 4th Quarter Surge

Iceland drew first blood in Group A of the 2015 EuroBasket qualifiers after a strong final quarter display helped them defeat Great Britain 83-70 in Reykjavík on Sunday.

Joe Prunty’s side had recovered from a sluggish start and had opened up a seven point lead in the third only to see the hosts produce a pivotal 22-5 run in the fourth, and deal the GB squad a huge blow.

Dan Clark led the way for GB with 20 points and 7 rebounds while Kieron Achara provided a much-needed spark off the bench with 16 points as did Devon van Oostrum, who added 13.

Iceland made a strong start by racing into a 20-4 lead nearing the end of the opening quarter with GB big man Eric Boateng picking up two early fouls to limit his participation. Four points from Achara helped make the score more respectable as GB trailed 22-10 after 1 as they began to rally.

A 10-2 start to the second saw the gap close to just four points before a further 11-2 burst from the visitors tied the game at 31 with Clark scoring six points during the run. The 6’10” forward then nailed a 3-pointer with four seconds left to send GB into half-time all-square at 34-34.

The three’s kept falling after the break for GB as Drew Sullivan, Gareth Murray and Clark once again, all netted from beyond the arc to open up a 43-36 advantage. However, Iceland battled back and the two teams traded baskets throughout the third. A late free throw gave the home side a slender 59-58 advantage to take into the final quarter.

Van Oostrum ended GB’s fourth quarter drought with 7:14 remaining with the deficit just five points at that stage. A 9-0 run from Iceland broke their opponents resistance and the lead soon ballooned to 18 points. GB finished the game with a 7-2 run which could later prove important as points difference could come into effect.

Stats.

The game will be replayed on a delayed basis today (Monday August 11th), at 12.30, on BT Sport 2 HD

GB are next in action on Wednesday evening when they take on Bosnia at the Copper Box Arena. The game will also be shown live on BT Sport with the tip at 7:35pm.

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