London, 2 October 2026 — London Lions maintained their perfect start to the SLB Championship season with a 71-66 victory over Leicester Riders at the Copper Box Arena on Friday night, moving to 5-0 in domestic play.
The Lions controlled the game for much of the night, building a 16-point halftime lead at 43-27 before Leicester fought back in the second half to make it a five-point game in the final minutes.
Ethan Price led London with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Joshua O’Garro added 15 points and six rebounds. Morayo Soluade recorded six points, three rebounds and a team-high 10 assists, while Thomas Kennedy added nine points and six rebounds off the bench.
O’Garro provided an early spark for the Lions, attacking the basket with aggression and knocking down four three-pointers throughout the game. His biggest came with just over a minute remaining, when he connected from the corner after Soluade found him to push London back in control after Leicester had cut the lead to five.
“They always tell me to be ready, keep working, keep going, just take this opportunity,” said O’Garro on learning from the veteran players around him.
London started quickly, with Price opening the scoring with a dunk before O’Garro added a three-pointer as the Lions established an early advantage. Kennedy then provided energy off the bench, finishing a pair of strong plays at the rim as London closed the first quarter with a 20-10 lead.
The Lions continued to build their advantage in the second, with O’Garro, Devante Jones and Deane Williams contributing from the perimeter. Price continued to make an impact inside, reaching 11 points before halftime as London took a 43-27 lead into the break.
Leicester responded after halftime, cutting into the deficit throughout the third quarter. London briefly restored a 20-point advantage at 57-37, but the Riders closed the period strongly to bring the game to 57-43 heading into the final quarter.
A steal and slam from Kennedy and a three-pointer from Soluade helped London push the lead back to 19 early in the fourth, but Leicester continued to apply pressure. A run of threes brought the Riders within nine at 62-53 with 5:52 remaining.
Price answered with an and-one, but Leicester continued to battle, cutting the lead to six with just over two minutes remaining. Soluade then found Price for a finish before finding O’Garro in the corner for the crucial three that gave London breathing room.
Leicester hit one final deep three, but London closed out the 71-66 win to remain unbeaten in the SLB Championship.
Following the game, Head Coach Tautvydas Sabonis praised the Lions’ first-half performance but felt they allowed Leicester back into the contest after the break.
“Congrats to my guys for getting the win. Very happy with the first half, leaving them at 27 points and having 41 points was very good. But the second half I’m not that happy with. I think we relaxed, and I think the relaxation from making good shots and missing shots affected our defence. Obviously, Leicester kept playing their game and kept shooting, and we get a five-point win where I think we could have done much better. But overall, happy for the win.”
London now turns its attention back to European competition, returning to the Copper Box Arena on Tuesday for a EuroCup matchup against La Laguna Tenerife.
