Cluj, Wednesday 21 October 2026 – London Lions returned to winning ways in the EuroCup on Wednesday, earning an impressive 89-72 road victory over U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Romania to move to 2-2 in European competition.
After a competitive first half, London took control following the interval, using defensive pressure and efficient scoring to create separation in the third quarter.
The Lions carried that momentum into the final period, closing out a convincing win on the road.
Thomas Kennedy led London with 16 points, shooting 7/7 from two-point range, while Joel Scott added 15 points and five rebounds. Devante Jones also finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Keenan Evans contributed 12 points and three assists. Landrius Horton added 10 points, while Deane Williams scored nine.
The opening quarter was closely contested, with Kennedy starting the game with a dunk before Morayo Soluade added a strong finish inside.
Cluj responded through its inside game and perimeter shooting, keeping the score tight throughout the period.
Ethan Price brought the Lions level at 16-16 with a powerful and-one dunk, while Tarik Phillip's tough finish helped London stay within reach as the hosts took a narrow 22-21 lead into the second quarter.
Cluj opened the second period with a run to move ahead, forcing a London timeout. The Lions gradually worked their way back into the contest through finishes from Jones and Kennedy, before Scott made his presence felt inside.
A strong seal and finish brought London closer before Scott powered through the defence for an and-one to tie the game. The Lions carried that momentum into the break, leading 40-37.
London emerged from half-time with a different level of intensity. A two-man combination between Evans and Kennedy opened the scoring before Phillip connected on a pull-up jumper and Evans added a three-pointer to extend the advantage.
The Lions' defence made life increasingly difficult for the hosts, and Horton knocked down a step-back jumper as London built a 17-point lead.
Cluj managed to cut into the margin, but a clever pass from Phillip set up Kennedy for another finish as the Lions maintained control.
The visitors continued to defend with purpose in the fourth quarter. Scott converted a tough and-one finish through traffic, then drew a charge at the other end as London kept the hosts at arm's length.
Evans came up with a steal and found Williams in transition for another score, while Jones continued to create opportunities with his trademark floater off the ball screen.
Cluj attempted a late push, cutting the deficit to 10 with just over two minutes remaining, but London responded decisively.
Jones drew a foul and converted both free throws before Phillip stole the ball and finished with a dunk to restore the Lions' comfortable lead.
Kennedy added another slam, and the Lions forced a turnover on the ensuing inbound to put the result beyond doubt, closing out an 89-72 victory.
Head coach Tautvydas Sabonis pointed to the defensive performance as the key to the win.
“Our defence, 72 points is crazy,” said Sabonis.
Scott echoed the importance of securing a road win in a challenging atmosphere.
“It’s always hard to win on the road, especially in an environment like this, so I’m excited we put everything together and got a win,” said Scott.
The result moves London to 2-2 in EuroCup play as the Lions return home for their next fixture.
They will face Bristol Flyers on Saturday in SLB Championship action at the Copper Box Arena.
