London, UK – Wednesday, 29 October 2025 – The London Lions fell 89–77 to Türk Telekom Ankara at the Copper Box Arena on Wednesday night, undone by missed free throws and a third-quarter surge from the visitors in EuroCup Group B action.Despite a strong first half and balanced scoring across the roster, the Lions’ cold shooting at the line and struggles on the glass proved decisive as Türk Telekom’s experience showed late, led by 22 points and six assists from Kyle Allman."I want to thank the fans for coming, it was a bigger crowd and we really felt it," Lions Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis said after the game. "In the third quarter they gave us a bit of a roar and we made a run, so big shout out to them and hope they keep coming. With regards to the game, we weren't ready for the physicality, the rebounding, and controlling our turnovers. Allman had a great game and it was tough to stop such an experienced team with high profile players."

Kameron McGusty and Joel Scott each finished with 16 points, while Tarik Phillip added 10 points and four assists off the bench, providing pace and energy throughout the game."The game, it was a tough one, but it's a learning experience," Scott commented. "I think we know what we need to do, it's mistakes we made."Aaryn Rai, making his first EuroCup start, contributed eight points and nine rebounds with physicality and poise. Türk Telekom were aided by Jaleen Smith’s 18, and KJ Alexander’s 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lions began brightly, opening with crisp ball movement and transition offense to lead 16–14 after the first quarter. McGusty scored early from mid-range, and Rai’s aggressiveness at the rim helped establish London’s tempo. Phillip provided a spark upon entering, attacking downhill and setting up teammates in transition, but the Lions’ struggles at the free-throw line—missing all three in the opening quarter—kept them from extending the lead.

Türk Telekom began to assert control midway through the second period, with Allman pushing the pace and finding cutters for easy baskets. A quick 9–2 run shifted momentum and gave the visitors a 45–42 halftime advantage, despite an efficient stretch from Ethan Price, whose pick-and-pop shooting gave London some offensive balance.

The Lions briefly reclaimed the lead in the third quarter after a put-back slam and corner three from Scott, but Türk Telekom answered immediately. By the end of the quarter, the visitors led 72–60, outscoring London 27–18 in the frame.

A Tarik Phillip dunk and McGusty floater sparked a 6–0 Lions burst to open the fourth, cutting the deficit to single digits, but Ankara’s composure and size inside halted the rally.

Free throws proved to be the difference as London shot just 12-for-21 (57%) from the line, compared to Türk Telekom’s 23-for-31 (74%). Rebounding and turnovers also told the story—Ankara controlled second-chance points and forced key errors during London’s comeback attempts.

“We work on it every day,” Sabonis said on their free throw shooting woes.“I don’t know how to explain to them more that they have to go every day at practice and shoot those free throws like their life depended on it. It’s like my Father used to say, it’s a free point, there is free in the word and we missed nine in a game we lost by 12, it matters a lot.”

The loss drops the Lions to 2–3 in EuroCup Group B, but there were encouraging performances from Scott, McGusty, and Phillip, while Rai impressed in his extended minutes.

London now turns its attention back to Super League Basketball action, returning home to face the Leicester Riders on Sunday at the Copper Box Arena.