Lions moved within a victory of the WBBL regular season title with a 103-38 victory at Manchester Mystics, on Wednesday.
Mark Clark’s side can win the title with a victory against Essex Rebels at the Copper Box on Friday afternoon.
Holly Winterburn drained five triples on the way to a team-high 21 points, adding four rebounds, while captain Shanice Beckford-Norton came off the bench to chalk up a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, adding six assists in under 20 minutes. Cassie Breen continued her recent good form with four triples in her 15 points, while Jo Leedham had four rebounds and as many assists to go with her 13 points.
Kennedy Leonard finished with ten points and seven assists as all ten Lions got on the scoresheet, playing between 15-24 minutes with Clark able to rotate his team in their third game in five days. Azania Stewart pulled down nine boards as London out-rebounded the home side 49-32, with the visitors forcing Mystics into 28 turnovers. Elisha Moore was the only Mystic in double figures with 13 points.
Chantel Charles opened the scoring for Lions before Kennedy Leonard hit the first of Lions’ 18 three-pointers, and Leedham’s triple put the visitors up 12-6 at the five minute mark,
Charles, Leedham and Leah McDerment all hit three-point plays as Lions went on a 9-2 run, and Shequilla Joseph’s triple gave the visitors a 29-13 lead at the first break.
Leonard and Breen were both perfect at the line before Leonard hit a ley-up to put Lions 36-17 up after two and half second period minutes. Breen hit a pair of triples and Joseph one from downtown as Lions stretched their lead to 45-19 before Vanessa Akra cut the lead to 24 points midway through the quarter.
But that proved to be the last time Mystics scored in the first half as Winterburn got hot with nine straight points before Stewart closed out the half with a turnaround jumper to give London a massive 56-21 lead.
Lions didn’t let up at the start of the second half as Beckford-Norton hit seven points and Breen scored a couple from downtown as the visitors completed a 24-0 run to lead by 48.
Moore broke the run with a triple only to see Leedham reply from the Land of Plenty, and Joseph’s lay-up saw the visitors go into the final break leading 78-31.
Moore and Beckford-Norton exchanged three-pointers as the fourth period opened slowly before Winterburn added another couple of treys to put Lions 87-34 up with five minutes remaining, and it was Beckford-Norton who pushed the hosts over the century mark as they improved their league record to 22-0.
