London, Wednesday 11 March — The London Lions responded to back-to-back league defeats with an emphatic 87–72 victory over the Surrey 89ers at the Copper Box Arena, using a dominant third quarter to take control and close out an important Super League Basketball win.

Chaundee Brown Jr. led the Lions with 17 points, continuing his strong run of form, while Tarik Phillip added 16 points. Kam McGusty marked his return from nearly three months out with injury with 13 points, providing an immediate spark for London’s offence. Shavar Reynolds Jr. finished with 10 points and seven assists, helping orchestrate the Lions’ attack.

Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis praised his team’s focus and defensive execution after the game.

“We’re very proud of the guys for understanding the game plan and coming out focused,” Sabonis said. “In the first half we did a good job defensively, especially holding them to 13 in the second quarter. In the third quarter we set the tone completely with a 29–14 run, being disruptive and smothering them with defence.”

The opening quarter saw Surrey start quickly behind a hot scoring stretch from Tyrin Lawrence, who accounted for the majority of the visitors’ early offence as the 89ers built a small lead midway through the period. London responded with a late push, including interior finishes from Ovie Soko and Tarik Phillip, but Surrey held a narrow 18–17 advantage after the first quarter.

London began to find rhythm in the second period. Aaryn Rai sparked the Lions with strong finishes inside, while Brown provided energy on both ends, scoring through contact and knocking down a key three late in the half. Despite Lawrence continuing his scoring run for Surrey, London closed the half with momentum and took a 35–31 lead into the break.

The game turned decisively in the third quarter.

London tightened defensively and began to break down Surrey’s zone coverage with crisp ball movement and timely perimeter shooting. Phillip knocked down a key three before Rai ignited the crowd with a powerful driving dunk during a decisive run. The Lions outscored Surrey 29–14 in the period, stretching their advantage to 64–45 heading into the final quarter.

McGusty’s return added another dimension to the Lions’ attack. The guard knocked down a three and several tough finishes in the fourth quarter, helping maintain London’s control of the contest.

“I think we played a great game,” McGusty said after the win. “When the second half came we picked the intensity up and everyone followed suit with the group that started. As a team we’ve just got to keep building from here — the sky’s the limit for us.”

London continued to move the ball effectively in the final period, with Reynolds pushing the pace and creating scoring opportunities, while Brown and Phillip attacked the rim to extend the lead to as many as 23 points. Surrey attempted to rally through late perimeter shooting led by Kino Lilly Jr., but the Lions maintained control to secure the 87–72 victory.

Surrey head coach Lloyd Gardner acknowledged the defensive pressure applied by London.

“It was frustrating,” Gardner said. “We didn’t feel like we found our rhythm offensively through the game. The Lions are a great defensive team and we saw their best version on the defensive end today — physical and aggressive, which we struggled with.”

The victory also marked a welcome return for McGusty, as London moves closer to a fully healthy roster after battling injuries throughout much of the season.

London improve to 16–5 in the SLB Championship standings with the victory, continuing to strengthen their position among the league’s top teams as they push toward the final stretch of the season.

The Lions return to the Copper Box Arena on Sunday at 4:00pm to face the Newcastle Eagles in their next Super League Basketball matchup.