East Kilbride, Sunday 21st December - London Lions bounced back from Friday's home defeat to Manchester with an 82-74 victory over Caledonia Gladiators, improving to 10-2 atop the SLB Championship table.
A game of two halves saw the Lions build a commanding 20-point advantage before Caledonia rallied in the final minutes with a 12-0 run. Tarik Phillip and Deane Williams sealed the game at the line to close out the win ahead of the Christmas break.
Chasson Randle continued his strong recent form with 11 points, three rebounds and four assists on 4-6 shooting, while Ryan Mikesell provided crucial scoring off the bench with 12 points including three key three-pointers. Johnathan Williams, Deane Williams and Aaryn Rai each added 10 points, with Rai contributing a further six rebounds and six assists.
The Lions took control early, opening up a 23-13 first-quarter lead and extending the margin to 45-30 at the half. The advantage grew to 20 before the Gladiators found life in the fourth quarter, outscoring London 27-20 to make it interesting down the stretch.
London shot 81% from the free-throw line (13-16), a significant improvement in what has been a consistent weakness through the season. The Lions also dominated second-chance opportunities with 21 second-chance points and contributed 38 bench points.
For Caledonia, Ethan Wright led with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Matthew Ragsdale added 19 points. The Gladiators drop to 2-12, extending their losing streak to six games.
Lions now begin preparations for sixth place Riders, as they will travel to Leicester on Saturday 27th December.