GB fall to Austria in nail-biting clash

GB experienced a narrow 85-81 defeat to Austria in the FIBA EuroBasket 2027 Qualifiers in a game that swung back and forth until the final seconds. With 16 lead changes, GB pushed the Austrian hosts to the brink and forced them to hit high pressure shots to close out Saturday evening’s close contest.

A slow start echoed GB’s opener against Switzerland as Austria’s ball pressure set the tone early and fed into an offense that converted 56% from inside the arc. Despite struggling with missed shots and turnovers, GB fought hard to head into the halftime interval with a 38-37 lead, demonstrating their resilience and strong team spirit.

Austria responded after the break with a scoring run, but GB stayed within reach thanks to two high arcing, long-range threes from Holly Winterburn in the closing stages. The bench added important production as well, with Cheridene Green finishing through contact and shifting momentum at key times as she did against Switzerland on Wednesday.

Despite the loss, there are clear positives as GB turn their focus to Norway. Their full court press unsettled Austria late on and multiple players showed their shot making abilities. It wasn’t enough to upset Austria’s rhythm, but the performance showed promising signs as GB continue to build cohesion early in their qualifying campaign.

Shanice Beckford-Norton opened GB’s scoring by connecting with a three to claim an early lead, but the momentum was slowed by a run of quick fouls in the opening minutes. Savannah Wilkinson found her rhythm from mid-range and Temi Fagbenle was effective in the pick and roll, yet Austria answered with a strong spell of outside shooting to edge ahead.

The second quarter was a testament to the resilience of this GB team as they produced their most positive spell of the game after a timeout whilst trailing 33-26. Equipped with the additional insight of Head Coach Stella Kaltsidou, they went on a scoring spree which was capped off by a Wilkinson stop and pop triple to beat the buzzer and create a 38-37 lead at halftime.

The second half opened brightly for GB, with Hannah Jump knocking down back to back threes before Fagbenle added another from the corner. Both sides quickly found themselves in foul trouble and the closing minutes of the third quarter became a battle of who could take advantage. Austria managed to do so, using the lift from their home crowd to build momentum and stretch their lead. GB kept fighting, with important late baskets from Fagbenle and Winterburn, but Austria stayed far enough ahead to see the game out.

After the disappointment of such a narrow defeat, GB’s focus turns to regrouping and preparing for Tuesday’s clash with Norway where they’ll look to reset and produce a strong team performance to close this qualification window.

Reporting by Will Pickup