London Lions’ 2026–27 BKT EuroCup campaign began with a 74–71 defeat away to Šiauliai Basketball after a spirited recovery fell one shot short in Lithuania.[1][11]
The Lions trailed by 12 during the third quarter, moved two points ahead with fewer than six minutes remaining and still had an opportunity to force overtime at the buzzer.[11] Tarik Phillip’s final three-point attempt did not fall, allowing Šiauliai to close out the opening-night victory.[11]
Šiauliai establish control
Šiauliai made the sharper start and used an early 10–0 run to build a 16–6 advantage.[11] Cedric Henderson Jr supplied the hosts’ initial scoring before Mike Caffey and Selim Fofana helped stretch the lead, but Phillip’s energy from the bench brought London back to 19–14 at the end of the first quarter.[11]
London briefly completed the comeback early in the second.[11] Phillip turned a steal into a fast-break lay-up for a 20–19 lead, only for Dayvion McKnight and Tauras Jogela to answer from three-point range as Šiauliai regained control.[11] Fofana’s jumper pushed the margin to 31–22 and prompted a Lions timeout.[11]
The hosts led 41–32 at half-time.[1] The quarter scores — 19–14, 22–18, 16–22 and 17–17 — show that London’s decisive damage came before the interval; they won the third period and matched Šiauliai in the fourth, but could not completely erase the nine-point half-time deficit.[1]
Šiauliai’s defensive plan had forced London into a difficult first half.[11] The Lions shot 7-of-19 inside the arc and only 1-of-9 from three before the break, leaving them dependent on stops and transition chances rather than consistent half-court scoring.[11]
London’s rally changes the game
Šiauliai restored a double-digit cushion at 49–37 early in the third quarter, but Joel Scott sparked London’s best stretch with a three-point play.[11] Maxwell Lewis then converted from long range, Deane Williams finished a dunk and Ethan Price’s tip-in reduced the deficit to 57–54 entering the final period.[11]
That sequence demonstrated the route London needed: attack the paint, run when possible and use their defence to avoid repeatedly facing a set Šiauliai unit.[11] London’s own report credited the second-half recovery to increased defensive pressure, 15 offensive rebounds and the ability to reach the free-throw line.[22] The Lions’ perimeter shooting remained unreliable — they finished 4-of-22 from three — but their pressure and willingness to drive kept the contest alive.[1]
Mo Soluade’s jumper eventually put London 63–61 ahead with fewer than six minutes to play, completing the visitors’ second comeback from a double-digit deficit.[11] At that point, the Lions had overturned the flow of the game and forced Šiauliai to execute under pressure.[11]
Henderson decides the finish
The decisive response came immediately.[11] Šiauliai produced a 9–0 run, with Henderson scoring five points and capping the burst with a corner three for a 72–65 lead inside the final three minutes.[11]
London recovered once more through Keenan Evans and Scott, creating the final possession that gave Phillip a chance to tie.[11] The miss at the buzzer was the most visible final moment, but the defeat was shaped by the earlier scoring drought and the 9–0 run conceded just after London had taken control.[11]
Henderson was the game’s leading performer, finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and a performance index rating of 27. McKnight and Jogela added 11 points each for Šiauliai, while McKnight also supplied seven assists.[1][11]
Scott led London with 17 points and a team-best performance index rating of 24. Scott, Phillip and Landrius Horton each collected five rebounds, while Phillip added 11 points and five assists. Thomas Kennedy also reached double figures with 10 points.[1][22]
Where London lost the margins
The final team totals underline a mixed offensive night. London made 19 of 39 two-point attempts but only four of 22 threes, an 18.2 per cent return from beyond the arc. They also left points available at the line by making 21 of 31 free throws.[1]
Šiauliai were more efficient from the field, converting 17 of 32 twos and seven of 17 threes. That difference gave the hosts enough scoring stability to survive London’s defensive pressure and late attacks, particularly when Henderson became the focal point during the decisive fourth-quarter run.[1]
There were still encouraging signs for head coach Tautvydas Sabonis.[11] London responded twice after falling behind by double figures, found contributions across the rotation and generated a genuine opportunity to take the game to overtime.[11] The concern is that their half-court attack became too difficult when the outside shot failed, making every defensive lapse more costly.[1]
What the result means
London start Group B at 0–1 in a 14-game regular season, so the defeat does not define their campaign.[11] It does, however, remove an early opportunity to collect a valuable road win after the Lions had worked their way into a leading position late in the game.[11]
Their next EuroCup assignment is at home to La Laguna Tenerife on 6 October, followed by another Copper Box Arena fixture against Skyliners Frankfurt on 15 October.[5] Improving the three-point selection, finishing more reliably at the free-throw line and protecting momentum after taking a late lead will be the immediate priorities.[1][11]
The opener showed that London can remain competitive through adversity at this level.[11] Turning that resilience into a first European win will require cleaner execution across all four quarters, rather than another recovery from a difficult start.[1][11]
Sources
[1] Official EuroCup game centre: Siauliai Basketball 74-71 London Lions
[5] London Lions confirm 2026-27 EuroCup regular-season schedule
[11] EuroCup game report: Siauliai shows resilience to drop London
[22] London Lions: Lions fall 74-71 to Siauliai in EuroCup opener