Great Britain vs Slovakia

Great Britain seized control early, forcing turnovers and converting them into transition baskets. The hosts' defensive intensity disrupted Slovakia's rhythm — a side that swept through the First Round with a 4-0 record — and built a lead that held through the half.

At the break, GB led comfortably. The second half saw more of the same: active hands on defence and efficient scoring on the other end. Slovakia, who averaged 85.5 points per game in the First Round, were held to 72 — well below that mark — as GB's interior presence altered shots around the rim.

Slovakia entered the contest with perfect First Round record, including wins over Kosovo and Albania (99-56 and 102-69 in late November 2025), followed by victories against Ireland (81-63) and North Macedonia (94-86) in the February 2026 window. Against Great Britain's new-look roster, they struggled to find offensive answers.

The final score: Great Britain 97-72 Slovakia.

(Individual quarter scores and play-by-play were not available in the official data at the time of writing.)

The first quarter. GB's swarming defence forced multiple early turnovers, and the transition buckets that followed gave the hosts a double-digit lead before the period ended. For a Slovak team that had controlled the tempo in the First Round, falling behind early against a deeper, more athletic GB side proved insurmountable.

Tosan Evbuomwan (FC Barcelona) — The Newcastle product, making his senior GB debut at the Vertu Arena, was a focal point of the offence. Evbuomwan had already impressed with 21 points and 3 rebounds in the win over Switzerland three days earlier, per Basketball England.

Amari Williams (Boston Celtics) — The centre gave GB a commanding interior presence. In his senior debut against Switzerland, Williams posted 8 points and 7 rebounds in 19 minutes, per Yahoo Sports. He replicated that physicality against Slovakia, anchoring the paint at both ends.

Joshua Uduje (Boulazac Basket) — The guard was GB's top scorer against Switzerland with 24 points, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and carried that form into Newcastle.

Quinn Ellis (St John's University) — The guard stuffed the stat sheet against Switzerland with 9 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, providing steady floor management.

Player of the Match: Tosan Evbuomwan — his senior debut homecoming set the tone.

(Full individual boxscores for this match were not available in the official provider data at the time of writing.)

Great Britain entered this window averaging 110 points per game in the Pre-Qualifiers (across First Round games against lower-ranked opponents), with 56.4% two-point shooting and 39.3% from three. Slovakia averaged 85.5 points, 45.9% two-point shooting and 35.7% from deep. The head-to-head stats shown on FIBA's game page displayed a clear offensive gap — GB at 110 PTS to SVK's 85.5, 45 REB to 43.8, 24 AST to 23 — and the final score reflected exactly that separation.

Group E features Great Britain, Slovakia and Switzerland. Only the group winner advances to the Third Round of EuroBasket 2029 qualification. With consecutive wins over Switzerland (away) and Slovakia (home), Great Britain sit top of the group at 2-0.

For Slovakia, who navigated the First Round unbeaten, this result is a setback. They drop to 0-1 in the Second Round.

The head-to-head record between these sides now sits at two wins each — GB won 77-52 in EuroBasket Division B qualifying in 2007; Slovakia won 73-62 in 2006.

• Great Britain: vs Switzerland (home), 29 November 2026
• Slovakia: at Switzerland (away), 26 November 2026

This was a clear statement of intent from Great Britain. Against a Slovak side that had won all four of its First Round games, Steutel's team showed the firepower and depth that makes them favourites to top Group E. With NBA and EuroLeague talent integrated into the squad, GB look transformed from the side that finished 1-5 in FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifying. Slovakia will need to regroup ahead of their November trip to Switzerland.