Great Britain defeated Slovakia 97-72 in their EuroBasket fixture on Sunday. The hosts imposed themselves from the opening tip, using pace and size to control the tempo. Slovakia's unbeaten record came to an abrupt end in front of their own supporters. The visitors had looked composed through four matches but found themselves outplayed.
Great Britain's defensive pressure set the standard. They finished with 16 steals to Slovakia's eight, constantly disrupting the visitors' rhythm. Slovakia gave up the ball and hit them on the break on several occasions, but the damage was already done.
Slovakia sat top of the standings with four wins from four games before this match. They had shown character in close encounters against Bulgaria and Austria. Great Britain had picked one up last week with a commanding 110-75 victory over Switzerland, and that momentum carried through.
The statistics reflected a comprehensive performance. Great Britain hit 11 three-pointers from 29 attempts compared to Slovakia's 7 from 22. The hosts recorded 23 assists to 14 for the visitors, demonstrating superior ball movement. Rebounding told another story — 42 for Great Britain against 33 for Slovakia.
The loss leaves Slovakia with their first defeat of the campaign. They remain competitive in the standings but now have a margin to close. Great Britain showed they can compete with the tournament's best when execution meets opportunity.