The London Lions took the bragging rights on a landmark afternoon for British Basketball as they secured victory over Leicester Riders in both the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) and Men’s British Basketball League (BBL) Cup finals at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.
The London Lions took the bragging rights on a landmark afternoon for British Basketball as they secured victory over Leicester Riders in both the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) and Men’s British Basketball League (BBL) Cup Finals at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.
BBL Cup final: Leicester Riders 71-79 London Lions
The men’s game started at a frantic pace, with both teams trading points in the early stages to entertain the buzzing Birmingham crowd. It would be the formidable force of the Lions who had a narrow lead of just five points after the opening 10 minutes, with former NBA stars Sam Dekker and Kosta Koufos leading the charge.
Dekker and Kimbal Mackenzie were both on top form for their respective teams, as a fiercely contested second quarter sprung the final into life, with the rivalry between the sides clearly on show. The final hung in the balance as the team’s headed back into the locker room, but it was the Lions who were happier as they extended their lead to nine.
As the teams headed into the final ten minutes, London held a 14-point lead and had one hand on the BBL Cup. But the Riders had other ideas and the noise inside the arena went up a notch as the Riders looked to stage a fourth quarter fightback cutting the deficit to just six points with eight minutes left of the final. The momentum continued to build for Leicester as Ovie Soko was ejected from the game after his fifth personal foul, before Riders continued their scoring run to get within four.
Dekker’s stunning display which earned him the MVP award, ensured it was Coach Schmidt’s Lions who would be victorious as he netted quick back-to-back buckets to restore the eight point lead. Each time the Riders retaliated, the American lived up to his reputation and responded with points of his own. Across the game he scored 22 points, claimed nine rebounds, two steals and one assist in a typically dominant display.
The Lions victory sees them lift the BBL Cup for the first time since 2019, as they claimed silverware to match their formidable record across both domestic and European competition. Meanwhile the Riders will hope to seek revenge and will turn their attentions back to the BBL Championship and Trophy competition.
WBBL Cup final: Leicester Riders 42-95 London Lions
Meanwhile the WBBL got the afternoon off to spectacular start as London Lions triumphed to lift the WBBL Cup with a typically dominant display defeating Leicester Riders.
The Lions dominated the scoreboard throughout the game, leaving the Riders with little chance to bring themselves back to the final. Team GB star Holly Winterburn was played a leading role for Mark Clark’s side claiming the MVP award with a sublime individual display which saw her score 16 points, provide nine assists for her team-mates, as well as claiming five defensive rebounds.
For all of their attacking talent, it was the Lions stern defence that ultimately gave them such a strong foothold in the final, restricting Leicester from going on any sort of scoring run throughout the game. Clark’s side’s togetherness was highlighted with every single member of the active roster contributing points to the resounding scoreline.
The win for the Lions means they continue their unbeaten run-in domestic competition to 51 matches and become the first WBBL team in history to retain the cup.
