GB MEN HEAD TO FIBA 3X3 EUROPE CUP
Great Britain’s men have advanced to the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup for the first time.
Stamping their mark on the 3X3 game, GB secured three wins on the last day of the qualifiers in Bucharest, Romania, with a finals win over Israel, punching their ticket to Vienna, Austria, on 22-25 August.
“I’m really proud of the guys performance throughout this whole weekend,” said Great Britain men’s 3X3 coach Julius Joseph.
“From game to game, they learned and as the games went on, they got better and better. That made the game easier for ourselves, putting in better performances, they just worked so hard in every single game, they stayed together, they stayed positive and we are just a great group of guys to have.
“It was a pleasure to coach them and I’m proud, happy and excited for them to get this opportunity to play in the FIBA 3X3 Europe Cup.”
GB started the day by putting on a flawless showing against a well-established 3X3 nation in Slovenia.
They put their counterparts over the foul limit within two minutes and sealed matters with 1:35 to spare for a 21-16 win.
Wasting no time in attacking an overly physical Slovenian side, GB forced three early fouls within the first 55 seconds. However, Julius Joseph’s side still trailed 4-2 early doors.
Slovenia’s persistent fouling, coupled with their poor shot selection, played right into the hands of Great Britain’s strategic defence. This allowed Evan Walshe to take the lead from the line. Despite GB’s control over the game, the pace of play escalated as both teams fiercely vied for position.
Ashley Hamilton tied the game at 10-10 with a beautiful spin and two-hand slam, which served as motivation as GB took the initiative to lead 18-15 late on through Hafeez Abdul and ended the game thanks to a double from Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye.
Walshe led all scorers with eight points for the victors, with four from his tally coming from the foul line. Thanks to Slovenia’s consistent foul count, GB scored six points from the stripe.
After finishing a solid second in Pool A behind Latvia, Great Britain was matched with Greece, who finished third in Pool B, to see who would advance to the finals to face Israel.
From the outset, the GB took control of the game, with a 12-1 start. They then continued where they left off en route to a convincing 21-9 victory.
It was an offensive masterclass. Abdul and Hamilton both scored seven points to lead GB, with the latter sealing the win with 1:56 left from the foul line.
And despite a nervy few minutes, Great Britain showed true character against another established nation in Israel, securing a 21-19 victory.
Hamilton paced GB with 10 points, with two coming from beyond the arc.
Like in their first game of the day against Slovenia, GB forced Israel into fouls, as they reached their six-foul limit within the first 2:26 of the game.
However, the Israelis proved to be a tougher nut to crack, as both teams traded leads in a pulsating clash. Hamilton looked to give GB the advantage with a double for 14-12, but it was immediately cancelled out by Gur Lavy, who splashed a two of his own.
Back-to-back scores from Walshe again gave Great Britain a two-point lead, and even though Israel tied the game up again with two minutes to play, GB held their nerve to seal the win thanks to a putback from Hamilton which triggered the wild celebrations.
Look out for more details about the team’s trip to Vienna in August.