The result means that Chris Finch's team finish the summer with a 6-2 record, and they'll wait on FYR Macedonia's game in Bosnia to see whether they win EuroBasket qualifying Group B. However, the GB team are still assured of a place in the Lithuania finals next summer after another successful campaign.

Pops Mensah-Bonsu led GB with 18 points and ten rebounds before fouling out, while Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng added 17 points and six boards, and veteran Nate Reinking finished the summer with 12 points. Ukraine were led by Serhiy Lishchuk's 21 points and ten rebounds.

Finch remained positive after the game, despite the loss: "This was a tough game and we rallied in the second half and gave ourselves a chance to win" he said.

"Flinder [Boyd] gave us some good minutes. Pops brought a lot of energy and triggered our run in the second half.

"We have a lot to be proud of. Not many people gave this team a chance to qualify and we did it through great effort. Our young players played well and gain immeasurable experience from this campaign.

"Next summer provides us with a chance to play against the best in Europe once again. I am looking forward to the 2011 campaign and I know the players are as well."

Ukraine opened the scoring through Maksym Pustozvonov and Dmytro Gliebov, but Dan Clark hit a trey in response and a pair of Deng free-throws gave GB a 9-8 lead at the five minute mark.

A Deng three and a jumper from Mensah-Bonsu put GB up by six, but the hosts replied with an 8-0 run and despite a free-throw from Drew Sullivan, Ukraine went into the first break with an 18-15 lead as Pustozvonov beat the buzzer with a jump shot.

The home side continued to control the game at the start of the second period, and their lead grew to 27-18 with 6:46 on the clock as Gliebov hit a pair from the line before Mensah-Bonsu launched an 8-0 run capped by a Deng three to bring GB back within a point.

That proved to be as good as it got before the half-time break as Ukraine closed out the half with a 15-6 run capped by an Olexiy Onufriyev trey to go into the locker room 42-32 ahead.

That lead never dipped into single figures as Ukraine continued the onslaught in the third period, and despite Nate Reinking and Flinder Boyd hitting treys Britain went into the final break trailing 60-49 as Boyd missed a pair of free-throws.

Mensah-Bonsu took the deficit back to single figures with a pair from the free-throw line to open the fourth period, and five straight points from Reinking made it a six point game after 90 seconds of action.

The Ukraine lead was still six points heading into the final four minutes after Deng drove to the basket, but Boyd halved the deficit as he drained a three off Reinking's assist.

Lishchuk made it 67-62 heading into the final two and half minutes after being fouled by Sullivan and a Gliebov and-one made it an eight point game at the two minute mark before Lishchuk effectively wrapped things up with a jump shot.