There were mixed results as Lions' Barking Abbey Academy teams faced Copplestone this week.
The boys never looked back after a 20-3 start, running out 85-57 against the Ipswich-based academy, but the girls' mixed start to the season continued with a 62-57 defeat.
Led by 17 points from Joe Buchanan, the boys were in control from tip-off as triples from Peter Asante and Buchanan helped them into a 25-13 lead at the first break.
Asante and his brother Stephen both hit threes in the second period, and although the visitors pulled within ten at one stage, the hosts reeled off nine unanswered points in reply and extended their lead to 47-31 going into the locker room.
The visitors scored the first basket of the second half, but Lions went on a 12-0 run to effectively end the game as a contest as they continued their perfect start to the season.
Stephen Asante and E Kankol added 16 apiece for Lions, with Peter Asante chipping in with ten.
In contrast, the girls' difficult season continued as Copplestone finished strongly to take the WEABL points and leave Lions winless after four games.
Fatmata Janneh and Nicholle Lavinier led a balanced London offence with 11 points apiece with Grace Stickland and Clementina Odom each adding ten points.
David Lavinier's side started strongly as they rushed into an 8-2 lead and although the visitors got themselves back into the game with a pair of Olivia Forster triples, treys from Strickland, Janneh and Lavinier saw them lead 20-17 at the first break.
A Strickland three-pointer saw the lead grown to 31-25 but the visitors got hot from downtown pouring in a trio of treys to lead and despite another triple from Lavinier the Ipswich side led 40-37 at half-time.
A low-scoring third period saw Lions regain the initiative by scoring the first eight points, and with Sarah Adepoju scoring from downtown they took a 50-45 lead into the final break.
That proved to be as good as it got for the home side as Copplestone tied the game with the first five points of the fourth period before closing out the win on an 8-3 run.
New City College Lions kept up their perfect start to the season, but were made to fight all of the way by Riverside College before eeking out a 76-72 victory.
Andre Lockhart's team led 20-14 at the first break only to see the hosts fight back to take a 38-36 advantage into half-time.
The home side's lead grew to 53-47 at the final break before Lions stepped up to take the fourth period 29-19 and wrap up their tenth straight victory. The win also sealed the head-to-head decider against second placed Riverside who now have a 10-2 record. N Tucker led the Lions with 26 points before fouling out while U Ojubanire added 18.
.jpg)