London Lions kept up their push for a play-off place in NBL Men's Division One with an 85-81 victory against Oaklands Wolves on Saturday but it was another disappointing day for the women's second team as they lost their relegation battle 53-45 at Nottingham Trent University.
The men held off a late comeback against Wolves having led 68-53 at the final break to move up to joint sixth in the table but the women will need at least four wins from their remaining games to finish about the drop zone. While the Lionesses face an uphill battle to avoid a bottom two finish and probable relegation, coach David Lavinier will have the slight consolation that the 12-point home win against Nottingham means that his side have the head-to-head decider if the teams finish level.
Elijah Maynard led the men with 23 points and five rebounds, with Jase Harrison adding 17 points, eight assists and as many boards. Zach Weluche and Brandpn Kaboza added seven and eight boards respectively to their 11 points as Lions dominated on the glass by out-rebounding the visitors 47-30. Mike New Jnr and Tola Okiki each score 21 for the Wolves, New adding eight boards.
Maynard's triple got Lions off the mark as they led for all but 26 first period seconds, and the American hit two more treys as Lions took a 26-19 lead into the first break.
That lead grew to 12 points as Rhys Sundimalt drained a three early in the second period before New sparked a 12-2 tear that saw Wolves pull within two points at the six minute mark. Harrison broke the run only to see Ollie Wright's triple make it a one point game and although Harrison hit a three, New's three gave Wolves their first lead since the opening play and they continued their run as Okiki's free-throws sent them into the half time break with a 47-42 lead.
Wolves' lead grew to seven as Jordan Jackson hit a pair at the foul line to open the second half but that proved to be as good as it got for the visitors as Weluche sparked a 24-2 run in the final seven minutes of the third period that ultimately gave their eighth league win of the season. Weluch slammed down a dunk and then drained a triple before scoring a lay-up, and Kaboza's triple sent the hosts into the final break with a 68-53 lead.
New - son of Lions' legend Mike New senior - went on his own 8-2 run to drag the visitors back into the game as they reduced the lead to 73-64 after three and a half minutes and Okiki sliced Lions' lead to 75-70 at the five minute mark.
Another pair of Okiki free-throws made it a three point game with four minutes left before two big Maynard threes steadied the hosts as they went into the final three minutes with a nine point lead.
Oaklands still had one more run in them, with Jackson's lay-up making it 83-80 with 1:32 on the clock and a single Jonathon James free-throw saw the lead down to two with 68 seconds remaining before Kaboza wrapped up the win at the foul line.
Meanwhile, in Nottingham another big performance from Fatmata Jennah wasn't enough to prevent Lions Women II slipping to defeat. Jennah continued her push to win the Division One scoring award with a 23 point, 11 rebound double-double, adding five steals. But she was the only Lion in double digits, with Grace Strickland adding nine points and Nicholle Lavinier six. Ines Guerreiro led the hosts with 21 points and six boards.
Jennah opened game's scoring and Lions edged a tight opening period as Strickland drained a triple to send the visitors into the first break with a 13-11 lead. There was little to choose between the sides in the second period as Jennah gave Lions an 18-15 lead after five minutes but the hosts stepped up down the stretch before half-time and it took a Tamar Smith-White jump shot to keep London within a point at 26-25 going into the intermission.
Jennah scored the only basket in the first four minutes of second half action. and she converted a three point play to put Lavinier's team up 33-28 going into the final three minutes of the third period before another Strickland trey saw Lions take a 36-32 lead into the final period.
Five quick Nottingham points to open the fourth quarter saw a Lions timeout and Kennah's pair at the foul line put them back up by a point heading into the final six minutes. But a Guerreiro and-one saw the hosts take a lead they would never lose. Nicholle Lavinier's triple saw Lions move within two point with 90 seconds on the clock, but that was as close as they came as Nottingham closed out the win.
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