- British Basketball League hosted their All-Star Games at the Copper Box Arena
- Team South won both matches against Team North during Sunday’s spectacle
In the eternal North-South debate, it was the latter who took home the basketball bragging rights when the British Basketball League hosted their own male and female All-Star Game at the Copper Box Arena on Sunday.
At a near-sell-out 6,000-capacity venue in London, it was the ‘home teams’ who had the upper hand, with the women winning 99-81, before the men backed that up with a dominant 149-116 victory.
While Team South can celebrate both successes, the day was a milestone for the British Basketball League as they showcased their talent for both genders.
Sunday’s showcase kicked off with the Women’s All-Star Game – the first ever in British basketball.
It was a good start from Team South, with Temi Fagbenle scoring seven early points to allow them to take a 14-point lead in the opening minutes.
In the British Basketball League All-Star Game, Team South won the opening game on Sunday
Team South’s men’s counterparts also triumphed as the men’s competition returned after 13 years
Team North regrouped and led 45-42 at halftime as the match became a close affair.
However, a 9-0 run in the third put Team South up 74-67 and they quickly went on to win the first game, with Fagbenle claiming Most Valuable Player with 20 points in addition to eight rebounds.
“It’s great, it’s a fun game, I had a lot more fun than I expected and to be honest it was more competitive than I expected,” London Lions’ Fagbenle said after the match.
“So that’s good for the game in general, for the growth of the game and it’s great to see the kids here and they made a lot of noise.
‘It was fun, it went very fast and suited everyone’s basketball style. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect, but it was fun.”
The men’s battle was more like its NBA counterpart, with offense outweighing defense.
Team South captain Teddy Allen led by example and claimed the MVP in a high-scoring affair, finishing with a box score of 31 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The women’s match was a close affair until Team South pulled away in the second half
The men’s game was more like the NBA All-Star Game, where offense outweighed defense
Reflecting on the match, Leicester Riders star Allen told Mail Sport exclusively afterwards: ‘It feels good to be MVP. It was a fun time, everyone there had fun. Everyone has their own personality, and it was cool getting to know everyone and finding out which guys you compete against all the time.
‘The atmosphere was good. The fans came out and I feel like they made it fun for us.”
Allen, who goes by the nickname “Buckets,” certainly excited the crowd inside by draining five 3-pointers during his offensive streak.
Team South’s efficiency was evident throughout and demonstrated by the fact that they led 104-87 going into the fourth.
This margin expanded even further during the fourth when Matt Morgan’s triple extended their lead to 120-96 with six minutes and 33 seconds remaining.
In addition to Allen, Tevin Olison was an offensive juggernaut who scored 27 points and collected eight rebounds for Team South. Meanwhile, LeQuincy Rideau had a double-double for defeated North with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
Sunday was a good day for Matt Morgan who won with Team South and the three-point contest
The South’s clean sweep continued with Morgan winning the three-point contest and Josh Sharma triumphing in the Slam Dunk Contest.
After a 13-year exile for a British Basketball League All-Star Game, for the men and what was a first for the women, expect a bigger and better spectacle next year as the sport continues to grow in size.
