Copper Box Arena, London, Thursday 16 October 2025- The London Lions secured their first EuroCup win of the season on Thursday night, defeating Dolomiti Energia Trento 87-71 at the Copper Box Arena - but not before surviving a dramatic second-half collapse that nearly saw a 37-point lead evaporate.

Kameron McGusty led the Lions with 22 points, whilst Johnathan Williams delivered a perfect performance with 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting. Tarik Phillip added 15 points, including a big pair of back to back three-pointers during London's dominant first-half display.

For Trento, DeVante Jones posted a game-high 22 points in leading a furious second-half comeback that fell just short, with Andrej Jakimovski adding 15 points in the losing effort.

"The first half we were great. We defended, we played the basketball that we envisioned, that we strive for," said Lions Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis. "Then the second half we thought they were going to come out hard, stronger and physical, tried to explain to the players that this is going to happen, good teams are going to do this, and we have to be prepared for that. I'm just happy we still found a way to win this game - there's a lot of learnings from the second half."

The victory -London's third consecutive over Trento across two EuroCup seasons - improved the Lions to 1-2 in Group B and provided crucial momentum as they continue adapting to European competition.

London exploded out of the blocks with devastating efficiency. Williams scored eight of the Lions' first ten points on perfect shooting, with McGusty adding the other two as London opened 7-of-8 from the field to seize early control.

With the score tied at 13-12 midway through the opening quarter, the Lions unleashed an 11-0 run. Back-to-back three-pointers from Phillip, followed by another from Ethan Price, blew the game open. London were shooting 10-of-12 from the field, executing with ruthless precision. McGusty capped the opening period with a smooth finger-roll at the buzzer, giving the hosts a commanding 29-16 advantage.

The onslaught continued into the second and third quarters. Williams threw down a thunderous two-handed slam - punctuated by a primal roar - to extend London's lead to 59-24 early in the third. When Mo Soluade buried a three-pointer with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter, London led by 37 points and appeared to be cruising toward a routine victory.

Then everything changed.

Trento, under Head Coach Massimo Cancellieri, turned up the pressure with an aggressive full-court press that rattled London's composure and forced a string of unforced turnovers. The visitors closed the third quarter on a blistering 17-3 run, suddenly making it a contest.

The momentum carried into the fourth quarter as Trento continued to claw back, eventually pulling to within nine points with just two and a half minutes remaining. The Copper Box crowd, initially jubilant, grew anxious as the Italian side threatened a historic comeback.

Sabonis called timeout, and his side responded with poise. A quick 5-0 burst restored order and sealed the victory, allowing the Lions to close out their first EuroCup win of the campaign."Great first half, played with energy, played with pace, doing the things we like to do," said forward Deane Williams, who contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists. "Second half was a bit rocky, a few unforced turnovers and we struggled to get a good look against the press. But overall it was a good game to build from, lots of positives, some negatives, but the most important thing was getting a W at the end of the day."

Trento Head Coach Massimo Cancellieri acknowledged the stark contrast between the two halves. "There is not a lot to discuss, it was two different games. The second game was led by us, the first game was led by them. They were better than us in the first quarter, the 16-point difference - we didn't show up in the first quarter. “We have to appreciate the effort the guys put in to recover, it is not easy to be down by 30-something and make it a game. This was a big thing that we did, and it gives us hope that if we understand this and can do it for more than 20 minutes, then I guess things can go better. This is a lesson that we can take."

While the manner of the win will spark debate - dominant brilliance followed by near-collapse - the Lions demonstrated resilience when it mattered most. With domestic form strong at 4-0 in Super League Basketball play, London now have their first continental scalp of the season and valuable lessons about maintaining composure under pressure.

The Lions return to SLB action this weekend when they take on Caledonia Gladiators on Sunday afternoon at New City College Hackney (5:45pm tip).