It was a successful weekend for Lions’ two NBL Division One teams with both recording vital victories.
The women gave their battle to avoid relegation a massive boost with a 73-50 victory at Worcester Wolves while the men ended Worthing Thunder’s outside title hopes with an 88-83 home win.
Ruchae Walton’s return to action has certainly boosted David Lavinier’s team, and she led the Lions with 25 points four rebounds and two assists and as many steals. Fatmata Janneh continued her push for the Division One scoring title with 23 points, completing a double-double with 12 rebounds and six steals. Wura Ijelu came off the bench to add 12 points, six rebounds and four assists while Nicholle Lavinier finished with 11 points and four boards. Chandre Nunez, who is Janneh’s nearest rival for the scoring crown, led Wolves with 23 points and six rebounds.
Janneh was on fire in the early stages as she hit eight points in a 10-0 run to start the game, and although the hosts closed the gap, triples from Walton and Lavinier helped the visitors go into the first break with an 18-11 lead.
Walton made it a double-digit lead with another trey and kept her side comfortably ahead with back-to-back lay-ups before hitting a pair of triples to put London 35-18 at the five minute mark.
Walton’s three point barrage continued as she made it a 20-point game with 2:40 on the clock and Jennah joined in the fun from the Land of Plenty before scoring two-from-three at the foul line to send Lions into the locker room 45-25 ahead.
Wolves scored the first five points of the second half but Lavinier hit a triple, and although Nunez battled to keep her side in the game they never got close than 14 before Ljelu’s triple helped the visitors lead 62-46 at the final break.
Ljelu opened the fourth period scoring and Laviner drained a triple before Jennah effectively ended the game with a lay-up to make it a 23-point game with 5:33 on the clock.
Meanwhile, a good all-round scoring performance saw a Lions’ team without the injured Jase Harrison win a thriller against Thunder at Barking Abbey.
Bradley Kaboza and Brandon Tchouya both finished with 19 points and two assists, adding ten and eight rebounds respectively. Elijah Maynard had four rebounds to go with his 15 points while Stephen Asante had 14 points and eight boards. Former Lion Howard Crawford led Thunder with 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a game where the visitors were out-rebounded 51-37.
“That was probably our best result of the season” said Academy Director James Vear. “We had five players out with injury or Covid, and five players came straight from the Division Three game beforehand.”
Lions started well, with Maynard hitting a triple to put them 13-4 ahead with 5:48 on the clock, and although Jorge Ebanks capped a 7-0 run that pulled his side back into the game, the hosts went into the first break 21-19 ahead despite a triple from Zaire Taylor.
Kabouza opened the second period scoring but Thunder stayed in touch and Hafeez Abdul tied the game at 31 midway through the quarter before Ebanks gave Worthing their first lead of the game.
Five straight Paul Asante points saw Lions go back up by a single point and Kabouza’s triple followed by a Maynard dunk saw the home team go into the locker room with a 46-43 lead.
There was little to choose between the sides in the third period, with triples from Stephen Assante and Maynard seeing London go into the final break leading 66-64.
Crawford tied the score with the opening basket of the fourth quarter but a Kabouza and-one put the hosts back up by five before a similar shot from Rees Sundimalt saw Lions take a six point lead into the final eight minutes.
A pair of Kabouza baskets ensured that the hosts led by six heading into the final five minutes but the visitors had one last run in them as back-to-back Abdul baskets tied the game at 81 with two minutes on the clock.
Stephen Asante’s lay-up with 1:43 remaining gave Lions a lead they would never lose before Kabouza’s dagger three sealed the win.
A 21-6 fourth period wasn’t enough to prevent Lions Division Three side losing 64-61 at home against London Thunder on Saturday. Jo Buchanan led Lions with 21 points with Jamari Seri adding 16.
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