London battle in a close-fought Pool D match-up which sees Riffa advance to Quarter Finals

London 3x3 fell short in their Bordeaux Challenger opener, edged out 17-15 by 4th-seeded Riffa in a tightly contested battle.

Jerome Desrosiers set London’s tone early with an eye-catching dunk in response to an immediate Riffa 2-pointer, while debutant Evan Walshe announced himself with an aggressive drive and finish that underlined his potential on the tour. Ryan Langborg, though unable to find his usual rhythm from beyond the arc, adapted well by attacking inside and keeping London’s offense ticking, finishing 100% from 1-point range. Ashley Hamilton provided the spark throughout, making big plays at both ends including a monster block and a tough reverse finish to tie the game in the dying moments. He finished as London’s top scorer with a game high 9.7 player value.

Defensively, London did well to limit Riffa’s talisman Dennis Donkor, the event leader in points scored to fewer points than in his explosive opening game against Valencia. However, teammate Mohamed stepped up, draining two crucial two-pointers to add to the mounting scoreboard pressure. That outside shooting proved decisive, as London’s superior percentage inside the arc wasn’t enough to offset their struggles from distance.

Though denied in their first outing, London showed promise with Desrosiers and Langborg working the pick and roll effectively and finding the cutters with pinpoint accuracy. They would look to build on this in their second game of Pool D in a win-or-go-home duel against Valencia who had faced a similarly close defeat at the hands of Riffa.

Credit: FIBA 3x3. Evan Walshe guarding Riffa's Dennis Donkor in Bordeaux.