London 3x3 finish 6th in Shibuya

London 3x3 come up short against a well-oiled Valencia after reaching the quarterfinals by going unbeaten in Pool D.

London’s debut outing with their new roster ended in disappointment as Valencia proved to be the more clinical side, securing a victory and a spot in the semifinals. Although Veron Eze again started brightly with a high arcing two off the glass, he was unable to replicate the scoring impact he showed during Saturday’s pool games as London struggled to find momentum.

Offensively, London found little rhythm as a series of shots came agonisingly close to going in as it became clear that it was not meant to be this time around for the British side. In contrast, Valencia were ruthlessly efficient, converting fifteen of twenty six from the field. They also controlled the glass decisively, outrebounding London twenty three to ten.

Valencia’s execution in the screen and roll action consistently created open looks and was reflected in their six key assists compared to London’s one. A few late points from Khalfani Hill added some respectability to the scoreline, but by then the result was a foregone conclusion as Valencia closed out to finish 21-6.

Despite the tough finish, London conclude their opening tournament of the FIBA 3x3 Pro Circuit season in sixth place out of fifteen, posting a winning record and laying a solid foundation ahead of the Manila Challenger. Crucially, their standout win over Toronto in Pool D underlines their ability to compete with top tier opposition and is an encouraging sign as they look ahead to the rest of the season.