Lions snare last BBL Trophy Semi-Final place

BBL Trophy (Quarter-Final)
London Lions 86 (24,44,65) (Cook 22, Stibbins 19, Taylor 14)
Sheffield Sharks 80 (20,39,51) (Tuck 22, Holmes 18, Lewis 12)

London Lions, Photo by Graham Hodges

A strong start by the hosts set the tone for the game, with Lions dictating the terms. A 9-0 run in the second period saw the London side break away to a 40-29 lead, but Sharks brought it back to 44-39 before the halftime break.

Although Sheffield got as close as 51-48 in the third quarter, Lions did not let the lead slip away and answered with a 12-2 stretch to increase the gap to 63-49.

Zaire Taylor in Action, Photo by Graham Hodges

Lions looked to have the BBL Trophy semifinal ticket in their back pocket, as they held a 78-59 lead with four minutes remaining on the clock. However, Sharks went on an emphatic 21-6 run to make it a four-point game with 10 seconds remaining.

A pair of free-throw’s by Lovell Cook helped the hosts ice the game and Cook finished the game with a game-high 22 points and nine rebounds. Makal Stibbins added a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Mike Tuck was the leading scorer for Sharks with 22 points, while BJ Holmes chipped in with 18 in a losing effort.