Siauliai, Wednesday 30 September 2026 — London Lions opened their BKT EuroCup campaign with a 74-71 defeat to Šiauliai Basketball on the road in Lithuania on Wednesday night.
Šiauliai led for much of the contest, taking a 41-32 advantage into halftime, but the Lions fought back in the second half behind increased defensive pressure, 15 offensive rebounds and their ability to get to the free-throw line.
Joel Scott led London with 17 points and five rebounds, while Tarik Phillip added 11 points, five rebounds and five assists. Thomas Kennedy finished with 10 points.
The Lions continued to chip away in the third quarter, holding Šiauliai to 15 points while cutting the deficit to three entering the final period.
London then took its first lead of the game in the fourth, with Kennedy tying the game at 61-61 before Mo Soluade put the Lions ahead by two. Šiauliai regained control late, however, taking a 72-65 lead with 2:40 remaining.
The Lions continued to battle, with Scott scoring through contact and adding another finish following an offensive rebound to make it a three-point game.
London forced a shot-clock violation with 17.1 seconds remaining, but could not find the tying basket as Šiauliai held on for the win.
“We needed more patience, to play side to side and be physical from the beginning,” said Lions Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis. “If we would have started the way we played the second half it would have been a different game.”
The Lions return to Super League Basketball action on Friday as they host the Leicester Riders at Copper Box Arena, with a tip-off at 7:30pm.
