A disasterous third quarter results in the Lions suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time this season.
Petar Božić’s side competed well for the majority of the game, but a 35-12 run in the third saw the visitors lose their Trophy unbeaten record in Bristol.
After winning their first three games of this season’s British Basketball League Trophy, the London Lions travelled to the West of England with very little pressure heading into their Friday evening match against the Flyers.
A heavily rotated side was named for the final game of Group B, which saw a range of players eager to impress at the SGS College Arena. The Lions were also aided by the returning Mo Soluade, who was able to score nine points in his 11 minutes. On the evening, it was guard Bradley Kaboza (18 points) who led London in scoring.
Following an evenly contested first quarter, just three points separated the two teams, with the Lions holding a narrow three-point lead. The travelling side, who shot a below-par 43.9% on the night, saw success inside the paint as they put together a string of offensive plays in the opening 10 minutes.
From here, Bristol responded well by edging the next quarter. The Lions began the period well and back-to-back triples from GB international Luke Nelson saw London increase their lead midway through the quarter.
However, the Flyers closed out the first half strongly and trailed by just two points heading into the half-time break.
With over six minutes played in the third quarter, Bristol led the Lions by five points as they looked to put themselves in a winning position ahead of the game’s final period.
However, from here, London found itself in a scoring slump whilst the hosts had the hot hand. Suddenly, the tables had been turned and the Flyers led by a staggering 21 points heading into the final quarter.
Compared to Bristol’s 12, the Lions had 21 turnovers on the evening, which proved to be the difference in the game - especially in the third quarter. The Flyers, who were led by Levi Bradley’s 19 points, were able to then cruise to the finish line in a 94-72 victory.
With proceedings coming to a close in Group B, the London Lions finished in first with a record of 3-1, whilst the Flyers missed out on a place in the final four by finishing in third.
Next up for the Lions is a EuroCup home game against Beşiktaş in front of what is expected to be a packed Copper Box crowd on Wednesday.
Watch the highlights from Bristol Flyers vs London Lions here.
