Barking Abbey Lions kept their hopes of a top two finish in the Elite Academy Basketball League Southern Conference alive with an 83-48 home crushing of Canterbury Academy.
The hosts never looked back after a 25-9 first period and need to win their final game to seal home court advantage in the play-off quarter-finals.
Zach Welche led a balanced Lions’ offence with 14 points, while Tomide Akinsiku added 11 and Joe Buchanan and Steven Asante finished with 10 apiece.
Buchanan and Asante both drained triples as Lions made a blistering start before Welche scored seven straight points to give the home side a 13-0 lead. The Kent side finally got off the mark with back-to-back baskets but Denilson Caschili launched an 11-0 run and J Gentry’s basket sent Barking into the first break with a 16-point lead.
Ed Colley got Abbey off the mark in what proved to be a tight second period, and Buchanan’s triple helped them go into the locker room with a 36-21 lead before a pair of Caschili treys saw the hosts take 61-36 lead into the final break.
Gentry, Cooner-Marshall and Asante all hit triples in the final period as Lions wrapped up their ninth win in 11 games with a 22-12 run.
Meanwhile there was also success for the girls team as they defeated JMA Reading Rockets 57-48 and now need to win two of their final four league games to reach the play-offs.
.jpg)