Surrey, Saturday 7 February - The London Lions saw their return to domestic action end in an 89-80 defeat away to the Surrey 89ers on Saturday evening at Surrey Sports Park, as the hosts capitalised on a strong second half to pull away late in the contest.

Playing their first game since another narrow EuroCup heartbreak earlier in the week, the Lions started with good intent and execution, leading 45-40 at the half after a composed opening two quarters. However, the momentum shifted after the break. Surrey outscored the Lions 24-15 in the third quarter to take control and despite several efforts by London to respond and close the gap, the 89ers were able to sustain their advantage through the final period.

Shavar Reynolds Jr led the Lions offensively with 14 points and six assists, while Deane Williams and Chaundee Brown Jr also added 14 points, while Amin Adamu each chipped in 12 points. Ethan Price contributed 11 points on efficient shooting inside after a career-high on Wednesday, as London finished the night shooting 49% from the field

The game remained within reach deep into the fourth quarter, with London cutting the deficit to as few as three points, but timely baskets from Surrey and second-chance opportunities proved decisive down the stretch. The Lions won the points-in-the-paint battle (42–28) and generated 33 bench points, but were unable to fully halt Surrey’s rhythm once it was established

Despite the result, the Lions remain top of the Super League Basketball standings and will look to regroup quickly as they round out their EuroCup campaign on Wednesday night at the Copper Box against Lietkabelis Panevezys from 7:30pm.