The London Lions claimed victory over the Leicester Riders yesterday in both the men’s and women’s BBL Play-off finals at the O2 Arena.
The win hands the women’s team their first-ever domestic quadruple, while history was also made for the men’s team with their debut piece of Play-off final silverware.
Ty Battle claimed MVP honours, finishing with eight points and 15 rebounds, including a record-breaking six offensive rebounds, as London rounded out their season on top with a 57-41 win.
Holly Winterburn and Katsiaryna Snytsina top-scored for the Lions with 11 points each, whilst Fiona o’Dwyer recorded a double-double for the losing Riders side.
Despite finishing their season on top, it was a day of sadness for Azania Stewart, as she played the final game of her career before retiring from professional basketball for the second time.
The London-born 2012 Olympian started her career in the WNBL with the Adelaide Lightning, before returning to Europe and the UK, coming out of retirement in 2020 to play for the Riders.
Throughout her career, the former Florida Gator averaged 7.94 points and 5.71 rebounds per game across 14 professional seasons.
Later in the day, the men’s final came down to the wire, but free throws were the main downfall of the Riders.
The team shot a mere 56% compared to the Lions’ 76%, and with 16 points missed from the free throw line, the Riders’ 88-80 loss might’ve been a different story.
The current league MVP Sam Dekker was unavailable through injury, so Jordan Taylor stepped up and claimed the MVP award, with a strong 15-point, seven rebounds and five-assist performance, in front of the home crowd.
Former NBA second-round pick Miye Oni stepped up and took his role to another level, finishing with the only double-double for both teams.
