Ellis return boosts GB but Italy prevail
Great Britain produced a far stronger performance in Livorno but still came up short, falling 84–75 to Italy in their second meeting of the February window in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers.
After Friday’s defeat in Newcastle, Marc Steutel’s side showed clear improvement and remained in the contest deep into the fourth quarter before the hosts eventually created separation.
The return of Quinn Ellis proved significant for GB. The London-born point guard, who missed the home leg earlier in the week, orchestrated the offence throughout and finished with a team-high 19 points along with six assists and five rebounds.
GB also received strong support from their Italian-based duo. Carl Wheatle added 15 points and five rebounds, while Myles Hesson posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards as the visitors matched Italy’s physicality for much of the night.
The contest was tightly fought early on, with the sides trading blows throughout the opening quarter before finishing the period locked at 21–21.
GB briefly took control midway through the second quarter when Wheatle caught fire, scoring 10 points in just over two minutes, including back-to-back three-pointers that helped the visitors edge ahead. However, Italy responded before the break to reclaim the momentum and carried a 43–38 advantage into halftime.
The hosts continued to edge the game in the third, stretching their lead to five heading into the final period at 64–59, though GB continued to stay within touching distance.
The decisive moment came late in the third and early in the fourth when Italy produced a 10–0 run, turning a two-point game into a double-digit lead and forcing GB to chase for the remainder of the contest. The Italians pushed the margin to as many as 14 points midway through the final quarter before GB trimmed the deficit in the closing minutes.
Italy’s Saliou Niang was the standout performer for the hosts, delivering an efficient 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting along with seven rebounds, while John Petrucelli added 13 points.
Despite the defeat, the performance marked a clear step forward for Great Britain, who matched Italy across long stretches of a game that featured 12 ties and seven lead changes.
GB finished the night shooting 38% from the field and 31% from three, while outrebounding Italy 43–41, but struggled with turnovers, committing 18 compared with Italy’s nine.
The result leaves Great Britain at 1–3 in Group D as they head into the final window of first-round qualifiers in July. GB will travel to face Lithuania before closing the group stage at home against Iceland.
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