London Lions bow out of the FIBA EuroCup Women competition following a 77-64 loss to French side Villeneuve d’Ascq, a 148-141 loss on aggregate.
Having led for the majority of the game both on the night and over the two legs, a 10-0 run in the early stages of the final period proved to be London’s undoing. The WBBL champions attempted a last-gasp fightback, but the French side were too composed down the stretch.
Kiki Herbert Harrigan led the Lions with 16 points and six rebounds with Taylor Murray and Holly Winterburn each adding 14 but despite their best efforts, their time in the second-tier competition of European women’s basketball comes to an end. Kennedy Burke caught fire throughout, going 6/11 from deep for a game-high 34 points for the victors.
Leading 77-71 after the first leg, London, saw their aggregate lead erased within the first two minutes, and Lions coach Mark Clark was forced into a timeout at the 7:38 mark as a lay-up from Kamiah Smalls gave the French side a 9-0 lead. The visitors regrouped out of the timeout and attacked the hosts to get points at the foul line. A tough score inside from Murray restored London’s aggregate lead with 2:55 of the first to go, but they still trailed 19-15.
The early timeout from coach Clark worked wonders as London were composed at both ends and after one, they trailed by three but still held on to their aggregate advantage. It took more than two minutes before either side registered a field goal before Ty Battle lived up to her name by battling her way inside, absorbing contact to convert the lay-up, but that was an indication of the growing physicality of the game itself.
Nothing was easy, and players took hits every time they went to the basket, but that played in favour of the Lions and with 5:42 remaining, Kennedy Leonard drilled an open triple to give her side their first lead of the game at 33-31, an eight-point lead overall. Not a team to simply back down, Villeneuve d’Ascq hit back retook the lead, and a score from Burke handed the hosts a 38-33 cushion with 2:25 left in the half.
The Lions, though, managed to hang on to their aggregate lead throughout the second, and a score from Katsiaryna Snytsina gave London a 39-38 edge, which they hung on to, leading 116-109 overall. The third quarter saw London get the upper hand on Villeneuve, with coach Kevin Fauchois calling a timeout following a score in transition from Murray to give the visitors a 45-43 cushion.
Like Clark’s timeout early in the first, Fauchois’ words lifted his side as Villeneuve came out rejuvenated and Clark called time himself as easy back-to-back scores gave the hosts a 47-45 advantage midway through the third. And with 90 seconds of the third left, a big three-pointer from Herbert Harrigan propelled London to a 53-49 lead. It was the team’s fifth triple of the game and it looked to test Villeneuve’s character under pressure.
But without hesitation, a three from Burke and a score from Myriam Djekoundade was their answer as now it was Lions who were made to sweat going into the final quarter, trailing 54-53 and hanging on to their aggregate advantage.
It was clear from the first possession that Villeneuve d’Ascq would look to pile on the pressure in the final period. And a 10-0 run in the early stages, highlighted by two three-pointers from Burke gave the hosts a 66-56 lead on the night and the edge overall.
Determined not to make this run a turning point, the Lions, under intense scrutiny from the vocal home crowd tried to rescue the game, a three from Herbert Harrigan trimmed the aggregate deficit to a point with 3:57 remaining. However, the French side, roared on by their home crowd remained in control and celebrated advancing to the next round.
For London, they aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon at 4pm, when they travel to the Essex Rebels in league action.
