Teesside Lions vs Cardiff City

Cardiff City put in a valiant effort on the road against Teesside Lions, pushing their high-flying opponents all the way before being edged out in the final quarter. Despite traveling with a depleted squad due to injuries, Cardiff showed resilience and quality throughout, eventually falling 91-74 after a late surge from the hosts.

Strong Start for Cardiff

Cardiff came out firing, with Lewis Tucker leading the charge in a phenomenal individual performance that saw him rack up 40 points. Their sharp ball movement and disciplined defense saw them take a narrow 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. They carried this momentum into the second, again outscoring Teesside 21-20, to take a deserved 41-39 advantage into halftime.

Lions Respond, but Cardiff Keep Fighting

As expected, Teesside came out stronger in the third, using their depth to push the tempo. Brenden Patrick (32 points) and Mekhi Hendry (21 points) began finding their rhythm, but Cardiff stayed right in the contest, with John Thorne (11 points) and Jake Baynham (10 points) providing crucial support for Tucker. Teesside edged the quarter 21-17, giving them a slender 60-58 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.

Final Quarter Battle

Despite their limited rotation, Cardiff continued to fight hard in the fourth, staying within touching distance for much of the quarter. However, fatigue began to set in, allowing Teesside to take advantage with a late scoring burst to put the game out of reach. The hosts finished strongly with a 31-16 final quarter, but the scoreline didn't reflect how competitive Cardiff had been throughout the game.

Key Performers:

Cardiff City:

Lewis Tucker – 40 points

John Thorne – 11 points

Jake Baynham – 10 points

Teesside Lions:

Brenden Patrick – 32 points

Mekhi Hendry – 21 points

Jamie Glen – 12 points

Looking Ahead

This was an encouraging display from Cardiff, especially given their injury struggles. They matched Teesside for three quarters and will take plenty of positives into the return fixture on 30th March in Cardiff, where they’ll be looking to even the score on home soil. If they can return to full strength, they’ll be confident of reversing this result in front of their home crowd.