Alex Callow reports on a disappointing result for the London Lions…
London Lions fell to defeat against league leaders Newcastle Eagles as a poor second half for the Lions gave the Eagles a 96-82 win.
The Lions went in at half-time only one point behind the Eagles, but a second half where the Lions didn’t win a quarter led the table toppers to a 14-point win.
Rod Brown top-scored for the Lions as he finished the game with 22 points. Lovell Cook and Drew Sullivan both got 18 points.
The first quarter was a tight affair with both teams trading baskets, Zaire Taylor and Sullivan hitting twos and both teams holding the lead at various times in the first quarter. Darius Defoe of the Eagles was a consistent threat as he drove at the Lions defence and at the end of the first the Lions trailed 19-22.
The second quarter was similar, with both teams having the lead. Charles Smith showed his class for the Eagles as he hit a quick pair of triples. The Lions responded well with Perry Lawson also hitting back-to-back triples. The second quarter finished with the Lions trailing by one, 42-43.
In the third quarter the league leaders asserted their dominance and showed why they are top, consistently hitting the basket while the Lions were struggling to find the net, and the Eagles assembled a double-digit lead. Lovell Cook cut the lead as he hit a nice three but the impressive Smith hit another double triple and the Eagles ended the third with a nine-point lead as the Lions trailed 60-69.
Smith was putting the Lions up against it, hitting threes and twos with ease, and as the lead got bigger the Lions had to go for more difficult shots and when they didn’t come off the Eagles counted and the clever Defoe kept on picking up points in the paint despite the best efforts of Rod Brown and the experienced Drew Sullivan. However the brilliant Smith hit 15 points in just the fourth quarter: that was too much for the Lions and the Eagles ran out 96-82 winners.