London Lions registered their first win in the EuroCup Women regular season last night - beating French side Roche Vendee 90-79 at Crystal Palace.
The side were looking to bounce back after losing on the road to another French side, ESBVA last week and five different players scored double-digits for the Lions with Holly Winterburn registering 19 points, seven rebounds and nine assists as Kiki Herbert-Harrigan added 18 points.
The teams went into the break at the end of the second quarter with the score being tied at 43-43. However, the London team showed their class in the last two quarters to gain their first win in the tournament.
The team now sit third in Group J - level on points with Roche Vendée as the Lions also remain unbeaten in the WBBL, registering four wins from all four games played.
They achieved invincibility in the WBBL Championship last season - winning all 34 domestic games by an average margin of 40 points and they completed a domestic clean sweep by winning the WBBL Cup, Trophy, Championship and Play-Off titles.
Beyond what was a momentous season for women's basketball, these accolades also cemented a historic moment for women's sport in general, with the Lions arguably positioned as one of the most successful teams in women’s sport.
The team completed a number of standout signings for this season with new additions such as Mikiah ‘Kiki’ Herbert Harrigan, Katsiaryna Snytsina and Taylor Murray additionally supporting a stacked roster looking to aid the Lions as they look to repeat their monumental achievements of last season.
The team will also be buoyed by the landmark appointment of Vanja Cernivec as the new women's team General Manager and Global Director of London Lions Academy.
Cernivec joins from her previous role as an international scout for the Chicago Bulls - where she became the first female in the NBA’s history to fulfil this position.
Vanja’s latest appointment also serves as a legacy moment for women in sport, as Cernivec becomes the first-ever female WBBL General Manager.
The Lions’ impressive roster serves as a clear reflection of the rapid growth of the WBBL and all eyes are now on their run in the EuroCup Women - one of the most prestigious basketball competitions to exist globally.
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