London fall in Quarter Finals to eventual champions

Marbella deny London a shot at qualification for the Macau Masters as Hamilton battles injury.

London entered the game with high hopes of making a deep run in their first playoff appearance in weeks, fittingly on Ashley Hamilton’s birthday. Unfortunately, a lingering injury from Hamilton’s previous outing cast a shadow over proceedings and hampered London’s chances as Marbella closed out the contest 21-15.

The tone was set early by Diego De Blas, whose emphatic dunking became the story of the game. He poured in 12 points and recorded a 16.5 player value in a performance that propelled him to the front of the tournament MVP race.

Justin Pierce picked up right where he left off in the previous game, levelling the score at one apiece with a gritty finish through heavy contact before sinking a two-pointer to give London an early lead. Marbella’s talisman, Diego De Blas, answered right away with a two of his own, turning the opening moments into a heavyweight clash.

Isaac Mayo edged Marbella ahead with a crafty floater, just as he had done in the sides' previous clash in Debrecen. Ryan Langborg answered by following his own shot, grabbing the rebound and earning a trip to the line. Justin Pierce kept the pressure on with his elite offensive production, finishing with a team high 10 points from an efficient 80% from two-point range. An Evan Walshe putback layup was quickly compounded by him drilling a two-pointer from the wing.

However, as the game progressed, Marbella began to pull away. Several statement dunks from De Blas widened the gap, and despite a sneaky backdoor cut and finish from Langborg and another Pierce two, London couldn’t reel them in. The Spaniards closed it out with two minutes to spare. Hamilton’s injury was a significant setback for London, depriving the team of a decisive presence whose influence on both offense and defence could have altered the course of the contest.

Despite the result, London leave Mataro with positives: a long-awaited playoff appearance, Pierce’s scoring touch, Walshe’s spark, and Langborg’s grit. With their final outing of the season in Deqing still to come, London will look to turn lessons learned into a strong finish.

Credit: FIBA 3x3. Ashley Hamilton vs Marbella at 2025 Mataró Challenger.