London Lions vs Manchester Giants | 104 - 53

The Lions cruise past the Giants in an emphatic 104-53 away win to maintain their lead in the Women’s British Basketball League Championship.  

A high-scoring game saw five London players register double-digit tallies in points, but Megan Gustafson topped the list with 17 in another dominant display from the American.

The Lions, riding a wave of momentum, entered the match with confidence as they looked to extend their perfect streak. The Giants on the other hand, looked to reverse their previous form after suffering five successive league defeats.

A strong start from the London Lions dictated the game as they seized control from the tip-off.  Although both teams looked evenly contested, the visitors grabbed a ten-point lead six minutes in and left the hosts chasing.

Katsiaryna Snytsina was successful from three-point land just before the end of the first quarter to ensure a 30-22 edge for her team heading into second.

The visitors showcased accuracy and finesse, registering an impressive 33 points while the Giants struggled to keep up, scoring only five in the second quarter.

Savannah Wilkinson was excellent on the glass for the Lions, registering four offensive rebounds in the match.

An explosive London side continued utter domination when Karlie Samuelson sank her third triple, contributing to her impressive 16 points in just nine minutes of action.

The Giants’ hopes then began to dwindle as they fell even further behind, with Shanice Beckford-Norton scoring back-to-back three-pointers from both sides of the arc.

This sealed a 63-27 advantage before the halftime buzzer sounded.

Manchester emerged again on court with hunger and motivation, scoring the first points of the third quarter and their first in over ten minutes of play.

From here, the pace of the game slowed down with free throws exchanged on both ends of the court. As the Giants attempted to chip away at the deficit, the Lions effortlessly maintained a 30-point advantage.

Although the hosts outscored London by three points in the third quarter, their efforts fell short of reviving their chances as they found themselves trailing by 33 points.

Stella Kaltsidou’s side convincingly outplayed Manchester in the final quarter, impressing with fluid build-up and link-up play to register another six points.

It took seven minutes for the Giants to score their first points in the quarter as they struggled to hunt down the visitors, who succeeded with every layup.

Ivana Katanić then propelled the Lions’ scoring into the hundreds as her side continued to provide the energy, rounding out a spectacular 53-104 win in Manchester.  

On Thursday, the Lions will travel to Turkey to take on Melikgazi Kayseri in a EuroCup quarterfinal showdown, whilst the Manchester Giants will host the Leicester Riders in their next game.

Watch the full game highlights here.

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