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oct 06 2026La Laguna Tenerife suffered their first European defeat of the season in London. The London Lions won 89-77 at the Copper Box Arena in Matchday 2 of Eurocup Group B, doing so with the physical, aggressive recipe that Bruno Fitipaldo had warned about beforehand. They are a physical team that plays aggressively and attacks the rim relentlessly. The black-and-white squad knew this and still couldn't find a way to stop them.
It is La Laguna Tenerife's first stumble in the competition after defeating Türk Telekom in their opener. Both teams now sit with one win and one loss in the group.
A second quarter that changed the game
La Laguna Tenerife started better. They won the first quarter by one (18-19) with Giorgi Shermadini as the reference in the paint, in an opening with poor shooting from both sides. It was the only quarter they would win all night.
In the second quarter the game changed hands. The London Lions began attacking the paint over and over and scored 28 points in ten minutes, which helped them flip the scoreboard and reach halftime ahead (46-42). The black-and-white interior pair began accumulating fouls, Thomas Kennedy found his way to the rim, and Keenan Evans punished every defensive breakdown.
Kennedy, unstoppable inside
The second half followed the same script. The London Lions won it 43-35 without needing to shoot well from three: they finished 7 of 25 from three-point range, a percentage that normally loses games. They made up for it with what they did in the paint. Kennedy finished with 26 points on 12 of 13 two-pointers, grabbed eight rebounds, and posted a 34 efficiency rating. Evans added 21 points and Devante Jones, 15.
The decisive difference came at the free-throw line. The London Lions attempted 36 free throws and made 28. La Laguna Tenerife only went to the line 21 times and made 11. That was a 17-point difference from the free-throw line in a game that ended with a 12-point margin, a reflection of a team that attacked the rim with far more decisiveness than the other.
No points from outside
Lakovic's team had Shermadini as their best asset, with 18 points without missing any of his seven two-pointers. T.J. Bamba added 16, and Tim Abromaitis and Vince Hunter, 10 each. The problem came from the perimeter. Kyle Guy finished with 9 points on 1 of 9 from three-point range and Marcelinho Huertas, who distributed six assists, only scored two. Without the points from their two main perimeter players, La Laguna Tenerife never found a way to cut into the deficit.
There is no time for regrets. La Laguna Tenerife visits UCAM Murcia in the Liga Endesa on Sunday, October 11 (12:30 p.m.), and returns to the Eurocup on Wednesday, October 14 against Maxima Roma, at home.
