Connor Mackay reports on a victory that turned the Lions into pussycats…
Surrey Scorchers rallied to victory with a fourth quarter master class against the London Lions. Having trailed by as much as 25 points in the third quarter, they sharpened up their game and won 90-82.
The Lions controlled the first quarter due to second chance baskets and good court vision by Nick Lewis and Andre Lockhart. Their defense was enough to stop Surrey building any rhythm and gave the home side an eight point advantage, 28-20.
The Lions took a comfortable 11 point lead going into halftime. A lack of communication and poor ball movement from the visitors saw them turnover the ball and give the Lions the edge as the half came to a close, ending 49-38.
London looked to have sealed the win with an extraordinary 21-point margin going into the fourth as their bench performed outstandingly and limited Surrey to only 18 points in the third quarter.
Lions left in a spin
However in the fourth quarter, Surrey’s defense forced the Lions to turn the ball over several times, turning their pressure into points. The Scorchers defense shutdown the shooting performance of the London side as most shots were highly contested.
The offensive movement by the Scorchers meant they had opportunities to score a basket in more than one way. Late shots by Jordan Williams and Nick Schlitzer, had all but sealed victory for the visitors as, the Lions threw up a series of desperate shots with seconds remaining on the clock.
This strong defensive display allowed Surrey to end a seven game losing streak and get their first win in the league since the December 2015.
Surrey’s K.C. Ross Miller erupted for a sensational game high 26 points, most of them coming in the fourth.
Lion’s Alex Owumi produced a valiant performance as he scored a team high 22 points and nearly clutched a ‘double-double’ for the home side.
Demond Watt and Nick Lewis combined for 27 points but that wasn’t enough as the Scorchers shut them out with a solid defensive performance.
Injury update: Nick Lewis went down just before the half with a suspected leg injury – he returned to the game but played for a limited time.
London Lions will face Worcester at home on Tuesday 16th February, the third part of their four home game stretch.