Great Britain's women lost for the first time in their relegation group, 75-71 at home to Romania, despite a spirited comeback in Nottingham.
Kim Butler scored 25 points and Rose Mason added 23 for Mark Clark's team.
GB started well, winning the first quarter 19-13, but only added five points in the second to trail 33-24.
But Mason and Butler brought the team back to lead in the third quarter, only to lose when the visitors finished the game with an 11-2 run.
GB will still remain in Division A, staying on course for the 2012 Olympics, if they beat Finland in Worcester on Tuesday.
Romania should now win the group barring a mathematical abnormality in their three remaining games.
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GB led 10-5 from the start with Kristy Lavin, enjoying her first start of the campaign, hitting five early points.
With Romania unable to deal with GB's swarming defence, the home side dominated the first quarter.
But the second quarter was a different story � the visitors hitting the last 16 points of the half to establish a 33-24 half-time lead.
From 42-32 down, however, Mason and Butler took over for GB, combining for 11 points in a 17-8 streak that brought them a 49-48 lead.
GB led 69-64 with three minutes remaining when Mason, a defensive force throughout, fouled out of the game.
From there on, the hosts managed just a single basket as the Romanians showed their experience in closing out the win with assured free throws, assured passing and three vital baskets.
Svetlana Dragusin led the scoring with 22 points for unbeaten Romania
"We had a chance to win, we just had a few mental lapses," said Clark after the game.
"Mental fatigue set in the last minute. Romania are a good team and they have some good quality players but so do we."
Clark also looked ahead to Tuesday's must-win return match with the Finns.
"We could have put Sarah McKay in today but she might have been hurt for Tuesday," he added. "To be sure we would always have had to beat Finland.
"They only won by six in Bosnia tonight. If we beat them we're through.
"We just have to perform like we have in the last three games and we'll win on Tuesday."
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