London come painstakingly close against a rising Valencia

London fell agonisingly short against Valencia in their second Pool D matchup at the Bordeaux Challenger, suffering another narrow defeat despite an improved team performance.

As the higher-ranked side, London aimed to assert themselves early and did so effectively inside the arc, converting an impressive 13 of 18 one-pointers. Their strong interior play and rebounding consistently outmatched Valencia, while turnovers were kept to just four, down from six in their opening game. Improved passing and off-ball movement allowed Desrosiers and Langborg to shake off defenders repeatedly, with every player contributing four or more points. Yet, as had been the case against Riffa, London’s struggles from beyond the arc proved costly, leaving several key scoring opportunities unconverted.

The game mirrored their earlier contest, locked at 14-14 in the late stages. This time, London looked ready to edge ahead. Ashley Hamilton once again led the way with highlight plays and a game-high player value of 13.5. A powerful dunk off an Evan Walshe assist and a composed three-point play pushed London into an 18-17 lead. However, Valencia responded ruthlessly. Javier Pulido hit a one-legged 2-pointer – his only points of the game – to wrestle back momentum. Walshe had a clean look at a two-pointer to seal victory for London, but their struggles from deep continued. Juanma Robles delivered the knockout blow, booking Valencia’s place in the quarterfinals with a 21-20 win.

Despite the heartbreak, London can take positives into next week’s competition in Debrecen, having outperformed Valencia in rebounds, assists, one-pointers, highlight plays, and turnovers. It was only their struggles from deep that kept them from turning a stronger team performance into a victory.

Credit: FIBA 3x3. Evan Walshe and Ashley Hamilton on the ground in Bordeaux.