London involved in gruelling affair against standout Spanish team

London bow out of their fourth World Tour appearance as Pierce maintains dynamic offensive production in their clash with Marbella.

Credit: FIBA 3x3. Evan Walshe vs Marbella at Debrecen.

On a three-game tear in Debrecen, Marbella had built serious momentum behind their two-point shooting and were chasing the number one seed in Pool D. London entered the game with everything on the line, needing a big win to force a three-way tie and stay in the hunt for qualification.

A flurry of fouls in the opening three minutes set a chaotic tone, with neither team able to find any rhythm early on. Marbella struggled to repeat the efficient 2-point shooting that had propelled them through Friday’s qualifying draw in which they required only twelve minutes of action across two games to progress. London weren’t able to capitalise on this shooting slump and conceded eighteen rebounds resulting in several second chance possessions for the Spaniards.

Justin Pierce showed consistency throughout his appearance in Debrecen with another seven-point outing. Jerome Desrosiers added scoring to his continued playmaking with an emphatic slam, whilst Ashley Hamilton also created opportunities through his sharp passing. London kept pace with Marbella and pulled level at 15–15 thanks to two-pointers from Desrosiers and Evan Walshe, making this encounter much closer than their earlier matchup. London also significantly reduced their turnovers, committing fewer than half as many as they did in the previous defeat to Vienna.

Still, the scoring of Marbella’s Diego De Blas proved insurmountable, steadily building a lead that London could not overcome. Despite their resilience, the Spanish side pulled away in the closing moments, extending their impressive run of form and demonstrating their ability to compete with highly ranked opposition.

London exited the competition with two identical scorelines, reflecting both their promise and missed opportunities. The team now turns their attention to regrouping ahead of their next contest in Brasília this September, aiming to build on the positives from back-to-back weekends of action and return stronger.

London 16 – 21 Marbella.