GB U16s Fall to Poland, Now Play For 7th

The short-handed Great Britain Under-16s side were unable to overcome Poland, losing 71-83 on Friday afternoon in Sarajevo, as they will now play for a best possible finish of seventh place.

Josh Uduje had another strong game with 25 points, Amari Williams had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Segun Shodunke had 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, whilst Victor Faroukou and Saul May added 9 points a-piece.

With only 8 players for the second consecutive game, after food poisoning spread through the team, the squad fought valiantly in a contest that featured 23 lead changes, however ultimately GB ran out of steam down the stretch.

The score was tied at 65 with 5 minutes remaining before Poland reeled off a 11-2 run to seal a cushion that GB would be unable to recover from, as they were dominated on the glass (57-36).

“The first half performance wasn’t good enough even with only 7 or 8 fit players. We challenged them at half-time and they definitely responded,” commented Head Coach James Vear.

“It’s been a challenging couple of days but we are determined to finish on a high. We showed glimpses today of how good we can be and I believe this team will do everything they can to come up with a win tomorrow.”

Jeremy Sochan – who hails from Milton Keynes, and represented England U15s at Copenhagen – led Poland with 14 points and 10 rebounds; it is understood he has previously expressed an interest in playing for GB but does not yet have a passport.

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