Lions Women II’s coach David Lavinier believes that his side can avoid the drop after a weekend that saw pull off two thrilling victories.
The young Lions defeated relegation rivals Bristol Flyers 50-49 on Saturday before recording a shock 63-58 overtime victory against title challengers Loughborough Riders the following afternoon.
“It’s been a long time coming” admitted Lavinier. “We’d been making progress but not wining. We tell the girls that we’re improving but without the wins that’s difficult to get through to them. But they’re applying themselves, digging deep and staying in games for longer.
“It’s been difficult for us as a lot of the girls didn’t play last year because of Covid. The first three months was about learning how to win and finish games. We’re working longer and harder for most of the game, and that’s important if we’re going to get the wins."
“We showed this weekend that if we keep working hard, we can win enough games to stay up.”
While the majority of the Lions squad are Barking Abbey Basketball Academy students, the addition of former Abbey guard Wura Ijelu and Rachae Walton has boosted the London side: “Ruchae and Wura are seniors, and they’ve come in and really helped us” said Lavinier.
“Just a little bit of seniority has made a massive difference for us. Ruchae is a shooter and Wura can handle the ball, and they bring us some stability.”
Lions are now one of three sides sitting on four wins, while Nottingham Trent’s defeat on Saturday and forfeiture of Sunday’s game means they are highly unlikely to avoid the wooden spoon. Lavinier’s team face Loughborough again on Saturday before a potentially key home game against Reading Rockets the following weekend.
Walton scored London’s final six points of the game and the winning lay-up with 28 seconds on the clock to seal Saturday’s thrilling win against Bristol. as they overcame a 47-41 deficit heading into the final four minutes.
Former Portland State guard Walton led Lions with 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals while Fatmata Janneh had 14 points, seven boards and three steals. Nicholle Lavinier hit three triples on her way to an 11-point, four rebound game as Lions ability to convert fastbreak points proved crucial for David Laviner’s team.
A thrilling finish hadn’t looked on the cards as Lions started strongly, Lavinier hitting a triple as Walton capped a 10-2 run in the opening five minutes before she drove to the basket to send London into the first break 14-8 ahead.
After Bristol had made it a three point game early in the second period Janneh hit a jump shot followed by an and-one to get Lions off the mark, and they led throughout the quarter as back-to-back Walton baskets wrapped up a 29-22 first half.
Walton opened the second half scoring, but although Lavinier dropped a three pointer the third period belonged to Bristol as Lions went six minutes without scoring and Emma Bailey’s late score gave the visitors a 38-35 lead at the final break.
Lavinier ended Lions’ nine minute field goal drought with the opening score of the fourth quarter but Bailey’s triple saw Flyers take a 44-37 lead into the final eight minutes of the game.
Janneh finally got the hosts moving and captain Ijelu scored off Lavinier’s assist before making it a four point game with 3:43 on the clock and it was left to Walton to take over down the stretch and see a vital victory.
It was even tighter the following day as Lions needed an extra period before despatching Riders.
Janneh continued her push for the Division One scoring title, hitting three triples on the way to a massive 25-point, 13 rebound double-double, adding five steals and three assists. Walton a good weekend with 14 points, eight boards three assists and as many steals as the pair both saw 41 minutes of action. Chenai Mushore had nine rebounds to go with her seven points while Lavinier shook off a poor shooting afternoon to pull down ten boards
Tinu Fakunie’s free-throw sent Lions into the first break with a 22-15 lead but the high-flying visitors fought back and closed out the half on a 7-1 run to cut London’s lead to 30-29 going into the locker room at half-time.
Fakunie’s floater gave Lions a seven point lead heading into the final four minutes of the third period but Loughborough again finished strongly to cut the hosts’ lead to 41-38 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 10-3 run saw Riders open the four-point advantage after three fourth period minutes but scores from Lavinier and Mushore tied the game at 48 heading into the final five minutes of regulation time.
Neither side troubled the scorer for more than three minutes before Robyn Ainge drove to the basket to put her side up by two with 100 seconds remaining.
A Fakunie rebound set Janneh on her way to tie the game again with 48 seconds on the clock and both Fakunie and Riders’ Januszewska both had shots to win the game before it went into an extra five minutes.
Riders opened the overtime scoring with a Januszewska, three-point play before Fakunie and Hikin exchanged baskets. Janneh drove to the basket to tie the game at 55 with three minutes remaining before Walton drained a triple to give Lions their fiurst lead of overtime with 2:22 on the clock.
Janneh made it a five point game with 38 seconds on the clock and Riders never got closer than two points before Walton and Clementina Odom wrapped up the win at the foul line.
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