WBBL Trophy
BA London Lions 83-69 Essex Rebels (31-24, 51-34, 70-49, 83-69)
(Lions: S.Umeh – 19, C.Breen – 15, K.Leonard – 14; Rebels: L.Costa – 18, D.Waithe – 15, A.Kohlhaas – 11)

The BA London Lions advanced in the WBBL Trophy to the Quarter Finals after a big win over Essex Rebels with Stephanie Umeh leading the game in scoring, despite starting on the bench.

The forward put up a huge 19 points in just under 17 minutes of action, scoring 90% of her attempts including one three pointer, while also grabbing five rebounds in the process.

There were also standout performances from Cassie Breen and Kennedy Leonard, who dropped 15 points and 14 points respectively – with Breen impressing on the backboards, grabbing six rebounds, while Leonard was a constant threat to cause turnovers, as she made two steals in the game.

Lucrezia Costa’s 18 points almost brought the Rebels within range of a comeback, while 15 points from Deangelique Waithe and 11 from Andrea Kohlhaas also gave the Rebels a chance going into the final few minutes of the final quarter, but the Lions proved just too strong and won with a margin of 14 points.

The Lions also gave minutes to young stars Nicholle Lavinier and Ines Goryanova, who at just 14-years-old scored laid two assists and grabbed a steal in just over eight minutes of game time.

A quarter final tie awaits the Lions, but in the meantime, the next WBBL Trophy game will take place in ten days on the 30th January, and it sees Cardiff Met Archers take on Oaklands Wolves.