Lithuania down GB in EuroBasket opener

Great Britain’s EuroBasket 2025 campaign got off to a tough start with a 94-70 defeat to Lithuania in Tampere, as the absence of big man Gabe Olaseni proved costly against a physically imposing opponent.

The Brits showed real fight in the opening half, with Akwasi Yeboah’s 13 first-half points keeping them within touching distance at 41-33 at the break despite an early 12-0 Lithuanian run that overturned GB’s promising 5-0 start.

Yeboah would finish as GB’s leading scorer with 17 points, supported by Myles Hesson and Tarik Phillip with 10 each.

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However, the size differential that had been bubbling under the surface finally boiled over in the third quarter. Just two minutes after the restart, Rokas Jokubaitis drained Lithuania’s first three-pointer to spark a devastating 15-2 burst that stretched the lead to 58-38 and effectively ended GB’s resistance.

Lithuania’s physical advantages were stark in the final numbers – they out-rebounded GB 57-31 and collected 23 offensive boards while shooting 50 percent from the field.

“Congratulations to Lithuania on opening the campaign with a win,” GB Head Coach Marc Steutel said.

“I thought certain moments in the game their experience was the difference at times…you can’t give a team 23 offensive rebounds and let them get to the line 36 times – that’s a challenge for any team at any level.

“I thought there were certain times when we imposed our style on the game, and that was probably when the scoreboard was a little closer, so we need to find a way to maximise those spells.”

Jonas Valanciunas dominated the paint throughout, finishing with 18 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting and 9 rebounds, repeatedly exposing GB’s lack of interior presence.

The defeat highlighted the challenges facing this GB squad without their usual complement of size. While they showed heart and stayed competitive for long stretches, Lithuania’s ability to score inside at will and control the glass ultimately proved decisive.

GB trailing 33-41 to Lithuania at halftime in their EuroBasket opener

Yeboah with 13 points, Adamu with 5 including this long range bomb
pic.twitter.com/1p3Te7uPdF

— Hoopsfix (@Hoopsfix) August 27, 2025

Jokubaitis added 12 points, six assists and five rebounds for the winners, who will be pleased to have navigated a potentially tricky opener despite not hitting their first three-pointer until midway through the third quarter.

For GB, the performance offers both encouragement and concern ahead of their remaining Group B fixtures – they proved they can compete with quality opposition but must find answers to their rebounding woes if they’re to progress from a competitive group.

Box score.