• → Lithuania beat Great Britain 94–70 at Tampere Deck (Nokia) Arena on Wednesday, August 27 to open Group B.
• → Jonas Valančiūnas (18 pts, 9 reb, 7-for-13 FG); Ąžuolas Tubelis 17 pts (8-for-10), Rokas Jokubaitis 12 pts, 6 ast, 5 reb lead Lithuania; GB’s Akwasi Yeboah led with 17 pts.
• → What it means: Lithuania start 1–0 after owning the interior (rebounding 57–31); GB regroup quickly before Finland.

Great Britain 70–94 Lithuania - Size, Boards Control, and a Third-Quarter Surge

Lithuania got what they came for: command of the paint and a composed opening win. After Great Britain’s 5–0 start, Lithuania answered with a 12–0 run that flipped the tone and, early in the second period, stretched into a double-digit cushion. GB clawed back late in the half to keep it interesting, but the first two minutes of the third decided the game: Rokas Jokubaitis hit Lithuania’s first three-pointer, sparking a 15–2 burst to 58–38, and the Baltic side never allowed the gap back into single digits.

Under the basket, it was one-way traffic. Jonas Valančiūnas lived on deep seals and second efforts for 18 points and 9 boards, while Ąžuolas Tubelis ran lanes and finished efficiently (17 on 8-of-10). Jokubaitis controlled the tempo and the reads (12-6-5), dragging GB’s coverage into rotations that turned into layups or kick-outs. Lithuania shot 50% from the field and, despite waiting until the early third for their first triple, never lost their grip on shot quality thanks to interior dominance.

Great Britain brought energy and punched back in pockets - Akwasi Yeboah led with 17, attacking gaps and keeping the scoreboard moving - but size told over 40 minutes. Without Gabe Olaseni, GB were outsized on the glass and out-rebounded 57–31, which limited their margin for error even when they strung together stops. Lithuania’s 13 offensive rebounds in the first half alone underlined how relentlessly they manufactured extra possessions and second-chance points.

Fault Lines & Levers

Paint math: Lithuania’s edge around the rim (Valančiūnas/Tubelis) defined the night. GB’s best spells came when they could run off first stops; those chances dried up as Lithuania reset the game around the interior.

Game control: The 12–0 punch in Q1 created breathing room; the Jokubaitis three into a 15–2 avalanche put it out of reach. Even before the outside shots appeared, Lithuania’s commitment to post touches and glass control insulated them.

GB’s bright spot: Yeboah’s assertiveness—attacking closeouts, drawing contact, and hitting timely jumpers—was a positive they can carry into the Finland game.

What’s Next

• Great Britain vs Finland — a high-leverage test against the co-hosts with crowd noise and pace to manage.

• Lithuania vs Montenegro — a bruising front-court battle that will again stress the glass and low-post defense.