GB end EuroBasket campaign on high with Montenegro win

By Sam Neter on September 3, 2025

Image Credit: FIBA

Great Britain concluded their EuroBasket 2025 campaign in style, defeating Montenegro 89-83 in Tampere to claim their first tournament victory since 2013.

The win provided a welcome end to what had been a challenging group stage for Marc Steutel’s side, ensuring they avoided a third consecutive winless EuroBasket campaign.

However, despite the morale-boosting victory, GB fell short of the 33-point winning margin required to snatch qualification to the Round of 16, with Sweden progressing instead.

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Great Britain’s pace proved too much for Montenegro throughout, with the Brits capitalising on their opponents’ early struggles. While Montenegro shot an impressive 10-for-13 in the opening quarter, they couldn’t cope with GB’s intensity, committing costly turnovers that allowed Britain to build momentum.

The experienced heads in the GB squad held their nerve during a tense final three minutes to see out a crucial victory.

“Super proud of what the guys were able to achieve today, especially after our last game,” GB captain Carl Wheatle said.

“We knew what we wanted to accomplish today, we wanted to go out in our last group game and make sure we had no regrets when we left the floor.”

Myles Hesson was GB’s standout performer, leading all scorers with 25 points, including a dominant 16-point first-half display. Akwasi Yeboah provided excellent support with 23 points of his own.

For Montenegro, NBA star Nikola Vučević delivered a masterful individual performance with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, but it wasn’t enough to prevent defeat.

Great Britain’s transition game was the key difference, outscoring Montenegro 20-3 on the fast break while forcing 18 turnovers. The Brits’ defensive pressure resulted in 12 steals, constantly disrupting Montenegro’s rhythm despite their early shooting success.

GB head coach Marc Steutel was emotional after the final buzzer: “Overcome with some emotion, we all poured our hearts and soul into this and in every moment. When you have difficult moments – and for sure we have had some in these championships – to be able to find the mental resolve, resilience, and the ability to display character in difficult moments, I feel exceptionally proud to experience this.”

Box score.

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