Great Britain opened their FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifying campaign with a 110-75 demolition of Switzerland at the Salle Saint-Léonard in Fribourg on Wednesday, a result built on a suffocating third quarter and headlined by the senior debut of Barcelona forward Tosan Evbuomwan.
Quinn Ellis, the St John’s University guard, top-scored with 22 points as Marc Steutel’s side led at every break and never allowed the hosts within single digits after the interval. Niko Rocak’s 20 points were the only sustained resistance Switzerland could muster in front of a crowd of 1,020.
A third quarter that ended the contest
Switzerland stayed within touching distance for 20 minutes, trailing 25-19 after the first quarter and by the same margin in the second to go in 50-38 down. The third period was where the game was decided: Great Britain outscored the hosts 29-13, a 16-point swing in ten minutes that turned a manageable deficit into a rout. By the time the fourth quarter opened, the only question was the size of the margin, and GB answered it by adding 31 more.
The efficiency numbers underline how comprehensive it was. Great Britain shot 49 per cent from the field, 39.3 per cent from three and 82.5 per cent from the free-throw line. Switzerland managed 38 per cent, 30.4 per cent and 74.1 per cent respectively. Reaching 110 points on the road in a FIBA window is an outlier in itself — this is a competition where teams routinely grind out results in the 70s — and it came against a Swiss side that has made a habit of being awkward at home in recent qualifying cycles.
Evbuomwan and the new-look GB frontcourt
The individual storyline was Evbuomwan, who won his first senior cap at 25 after years of speculation about when — not whether — he would commit to the programme. His CV explains why his arrival matters:
- Graduated from Princeton in 2023 before turning professional
- NBA spells with the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons
- Named NBA G League Finals MVP in 2025-26
- Signed by FC Barcelona for the 2026-27 EuroLeague season
“Tosan has wanted to be a part of the national team set-up for a long time,” head coach Steutel said when the squad was announced, adding that the timing had finally aligned. Evbuomwan was raised in Newcastle and came through the Newcastle Eagles academy before heading to the United States, which makes Saturday’s home fixture against Slovakia at the Vertu Motors Arena a genuine homecoming rather than a manufactured one.
He was not the only debutant. Boston Celtics centre Amari Williams, 23, also pulled on the senior shirt for the first time after seven years away from the GB system. “I’ve wanted to be involved throughout that time, but the timing has never fallen right,” the Nottingham-born big man said. Dallas Mavericks forward Tobi Lawal is in the same 16-man squad, giving Steutel a frontcourt with NBA and EuroLeague credentials that previous GB coaches simply did not have available.
What it means from here
Context sharpens the significance. Great Britain arrived in Fribourg having been eliminated from qualifying for the 2027 World Cup, and the pre-qualifiers are the price of that failure — a preliminary stage the continent’s established nations never have to play. Group E pits GB against Switzerland and Slovakia home and away across three windows in August, November and February. Only the group winner advances to the next stage of EuroBasket 2029 qualification. There is no safety net and no second-place consolation.
A 35-point road win is therefore worth more than the single point in the standings it delivers. Point difference is the standard FIBA tiebreaker, and if this group comes down to a three-way tangle in February, Wednesday’s margin is the sort of cushion that decides who progresses. It also gives Steutel something he has rarely had: an early result that lets him integrate new personnel without the campaign hanging on it.
“Every national team has their own strengths and areas for improvement and our strength is the culture we’ve built and the commitment and continued service we’ve seen from our players,” Steutel said before the window. That continuity, now supplemented by NBA and EuroLeague talent, faces its next test on Saturday against Slovakia in Newcastle — where Evbuomwan will make his home debut in the city that produced him.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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