GB’s victory over Montenegro gave them their first EuroBasket win since 2013, and it came in thrilling fashion, with a Myles Hesson three and nerves of steel from Luke Nelson at the free throw line seeing them over the line 83-89.

In their final game of Group B, against a side ranked 16th in the world, GB’s tactical emphasis was clear from the tip: intensity, physicality, pace.

Head Coach Marc Steutel had his side pressuring the ball at every moment, relentlessly hounding Montenegro’s ball handlers and double-teaming their superstar Nikola Vucevic in the post, forcing turnovers and creating transition opportunities.

On the break, GB were lethal, scoring 20 points in the open floor and 42 in the paint, using their speed and strength to overwhelm Montenegro.

Leading the charge was Hesson, whose 25-point scoring outburst showed off his wide array of offensive weapons. His work in the post earned him trips to the free-throw line and points at the rim. His driving off the bounce was superb. But it was his cutting and his energy off the ball, as well as on defence, which truly lifted his side. He was a machine, poking holes in Montenegro’s defence and forcing countless turnovers that won't show up on the box score.

Hesson’s three-point bomb with 60 seconds to spare snatched the lead back for GB and showed his ability to come up big when it mattered most.

Akwasi Yeboah similarly enjoyed an impeccable offensive afternoon. He scored 23 points and grabbed five rebounds, making four three-pointers and three steals. Again, whilst his work scoring the ball was commendable, and his three-point shooting devastating, it was his defensive effort that stood out. His ability to be in the right place and the right time, cutting the passing lanes and pushing the pace in transition, was a big part of GB’s 20 fastbreak points.

Point guard Nelson, orchestrated play with poise and destructive efficiency. His 12 points and eight assists proved key for his side offensively, whilst his three steals and continuous defensive intensity were essential in Coach Steutel’s high-press system.

Jelani Watson-Gayle enjoyed his most prolific scoring performance of the tournament, racking up 11 points in critical moments, making three high-difficulty pull-up threes in the process.

The frontcourt rotation of Jubrile Belo and Dan Akin worked tirelessly, affecting Vucevic on the defensive end and throwing down monstrous dunks to reward GB’s playmakers.

Finally, a defensive masterclass cannot be recognised without the efforts of GB Captain Carl Wheatle being praised. Wheatle grabbed nine rebounds and was at the forefront of every press for his country, leading by example as always.

Nikola Vucevic produced an impressive all-around performance, scoring 31 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists, whilst point guard Kyle Allman added 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists in impactful bursts.

Nevertheless, down the stretch, in the key moments, GB’s intensity carried them through, leading to their first victory of the tournament.

Speaking with pride in his post-match interview, Coach Steutel said, “We are probably overcome with some emotion. We all pour our hearts and souls into this, into every moment.

‘I think when you have difficult moments, and for sure we've had some in these championships, you have to be able to find the mental resolve and the resilience to display character, and that’s what we did today.

“I feel exceptionally proud to experience this with this group of people. We understand where we are as a basketball nation and what we want to do, but for everyone who has worked so hard on this programme, to constantly drive it on, to be able to get a win for the first time in 12 years, is really special.”

Hesson led GB with 25 points, including a three to take the lead in the final minute

From the very first moments of this game, the intensity was ramped up. Montenegro started the better of the two sides. GB’s high-pressure defensive structure made things difficult for them and created opportunities for Hesson to attack in the post and Yeboah to steal the ball and run out for the wide-open layup, but despite this, Montenegro ran out to a 14-6 lead early on.

GB sustained their relentless ball-pressure, which started to limit Montenegro offensively. On the other side, Coach Steutel’s emphasis on movement and cutting paid dividends. Wheatle grabbed an offensive rebound, dished the ball into the mid-post to Hesson, who immediately bounced it into Akin to finish at the rim. Again, off the offensive rebound, Josh Ward-Hibbert found Hesson on another cut, who push-passed to Akin for an easy score.

Montenegro were clearly suffering from the high-octane play and were forced into an eight-second violation for holding the ball for too long in their backcourt, unable to beat the GB press, and throwing two consecutive turnovers, stolen by Nelson, leading to GB scores.

A couple of threes from Yeboah and a last-second dagger from Watson-Gayle, and GB had reduced the Montenegrin lead to one point.

First Quarter: MNE 26 / GBR 25

Coach Steutel's high-intensity tactic proved key in GB's win over Montenegro

Out of the break, GB refused to relent, swarming the ball carrier at every opportunity. This created forced turnovers, with Montenegro travelling or GB stripping the ball loose, sending Hesson through for a strong dunk on the break. Watson-Gayle proved significant in this tactic, smothering opposing guards and driving in transition. He split the defence with a crossover dribble, flipping up a floater for two.

GB’s decision to double-team Vucevic in the post limited the big man to six points early in the second quarter, but he had already dished three assists as GB’s defenders struggled to recover to the open man. In the timeout, Steutel called for two possessions of single coverage on the Chicago Bulls centre, both of which resulted in stops for GB.

Hesson continued to score on every level, using his footwork to create shots in the post or work his way to the free-throw line, and attacking with pace in transition to find shots at the rim. On an out-of-bounds play, Nelson bounced to Hesson on a hard cut to the rim, and the veteran wing slammed home the dunk. His hesitation dribble and layup over his defender was characteristic of a lethal first-half performance.

However, all credit should go to GB’s defence, which prevented Montenegro from scoring for over four minutes of play and created opportunities on the fastbreak.

At halftime, Hesson had 16 points and Yeboah had 13. Most importantly, GB had solved their turnover troubles, committing only three in the first two quarters.

Half Time: MNE 42 / GBR 48

Yeboah combined eltie three-point shooting with aggresive drives to score 23 for GB

Into the second half, and the breathless pace of the game finally started to wind down. This unsurprisingly coincided with Vucevic getting into rhythm. He immediately went to his post game, getting a floated hook shot to sink, before splashing in a three. The big man shot 56.3% from three across the tournament.

GB’s defence continued to create scoring chances, with Akin’s great work on Allman opening a fastbreak opportunity, which he finished down the other end. Yeboah then positioned himself well, picking off Marko Simonovic’s pass and pushing the pace in transition, leading to yet another Akin score at the basket. Yeboah’s three-point shot also continued to fall, as he pulled up over Vucevic, and then again off a nice Akin screen, to slow down a Montenegro scoring run.

Hesson’s energy towards the end of the quarter saw him force more Montenegrin turnovers as he timed his double-teams to perfection, and his aggressive drives to the rim earned him multiple trips to the free-throw line.

Watson-Gayle connected on two pull-up threes from way beyond the arc to close out the period as he enjoyed his finest performance of the tournament thus far, with 11 points already.

Outside of an impressive scoring display from Vucevic, GB’s defence was purring, and their transition work was carrying them through offensively.

Third Quarter: MNE 63 / GBR 68

Watson-Gayle made three of his four three-point attempts, scoring 11 points in total

The final quarter proved a fitting conclusion to a thriller of a match. Igor Drobnjak finally got a shot to fall, splitting GB’s defence with a crossover and finishing at the rim. But GB came right back, and Hesson’s energy on the offensive glass paid off as he bounced to Belo for the huge dunk. GB’s big man enjoyed a nice spell here, spinning in the paint for a short fadeaway jumper for two more.

The game quickly took a one-for-one style, as Allman’s aggressive drive and layup were matched by an equally incisive move by Nelson. GB kept the points ticking over, maintaining a narrow lead through Yeboah’s steal and long pass to Hesson for the reverse layup, and Nelson’s nice mid-range shot, where he used his back to keep Vladimir Mihailovic away from the ball.

With GB up 71-78 with five minutes to go, Montenegro initiated their final offensive push. Vucevic got into his post game, hooking over the defence and spinning down low, whilst Allman hit a three off a defensive breakdown. With two minutes on the clock, Vucevic’s spin down the lane saw him cut the lead to just two points. Then, he found Mihailovic in the corner, who chucked up a three which circled the rim three times before nestling and handing Montenegro the one-point lead with 90 seconds to spare.

GB responded in kind, Nelson running a pick-and-pop with Hesson, who nailed his first three of the game with no hesitation from way outside the arc. Off some nice defensive work, Wheatle threw ahead to Nelson, who cleverly went up and drew a foul, knocking down both his free throws. Putting the game to bed, Yeboah attacked hard to the rim, battling through contact to force his layup up and in.

Final Score: MNE 83 / GBR 89