The London Lions fell to a second straight loss of the 2020/21 campaign, losing 70-61 to the Sheffield Sharks in the BBL Cup last Friday.
Debutant Antwon Lillard starred with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block as the Sharks sealed victory at Ponds Forge in Sheffield.
Sharks Captain Mick Tuck praised Lillard’s performance: “I thought he did a great job, he was really physical and made some big shots down that fourth quarter.”
Fellow debutant and Cleveland native, Kipper Nichols, also impressed with a 14-point display off the bench including a couple of clutch shots down the stretch.
Sharks Head Coach Atiba Lyons said: “On the court they’re getting after it, they made some great plays, Antwon in the first three quarters and Kipper in the fourth made some outstanding plays for us.”
The Lions came out the gates flying, getting out to a 9-point lead in the first quarter off the back of a pair of DeAndre Liggins 3s, a lead they would hold onto until the third quarter.
However, the London team’s fouling contributed to their collapse as they gave up 38 free-throw attempts to 18 for the game and out-fouled the Sharks 14-2 in the fourth quarter, handing the Sharks the chance to steal the game.
Vince Macaulay will be worried with the way his Lion’s team has started the season, losing to the Newcastle Eagles in overtime and now to the Sheffield Sharks, giving up late leads in both games.
Macaulay and the Lions will be looking to Justin Robinson to help turn their season around. The two-time MVP has struggled so far averaging just 7.5 points on 25 per cent shooting from the field, way down from his 42 per cent average last year.
Up next for the Lions is the reverse fixture of Friday’s loss with the Sharks coming to the Copper Box this Friday at 5 p.m. It is a must-win for the Lions who will be desperate for a revenge win to kick-start their campaign.