Twice over the weekend Great Britain, who lost to China first up, had their Olympic fate in their hands, first in the more achievable prospect of victory over South Korea, followed by their last-chance-saloon game with European champions Spain.
Late threat of a comeback against South Korea aside, Great Britain struggled to lay a serious glove on their opponents. Across the 80 minutes played in those two matches, they led for a combined total of 2mins13 secs and against Spain, a stubborn long-term double-digit deficit proved their handicap.
“The games against China and Spain, we did a great job but it was difficult for us because they are better teams,” head coach Chema Buceta declared afterwards. “But against Korea, we were not able to understand the game… they had an exceptional game, shooting three pointers. We were not able to react. That is the difference – between knowing, and doing.”
Whether the effect of team fatigue or the street-saviness of Spain – more likely a combination of both – Great Britain could not muster the spark you would expect from such a high-stakes game. Fagbenle, who plays for Spanish club Perfumerias Avenida, put in a huge effort, draining 21 points while the tireless Jo Leedham-Warner scored 15 and took 12 rebounds.
