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In the perennial North versus South debate, it was the latter who came away with the basketball bragging rights as the British Basketball League staged their own male and female All-Star Game at the Copper Box Arena on Sunday.
In a near sell-out at the 6,000-capacity London-based venue it was the ‘home’ sides that prevailed 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 landmark one for the British Basketball League as they showcased their talent across both genders.
Sunday’s showcase began with the Women’s All-Star Game – the first-ever within British Basketball.
It was a bright start by Team South with Temi Fagbenle scoring seven early points to help them take a 14-point lead in the first give minutes.
British Basketball League All-Star Game saw Team South win the inaugural match on Sunday
Team South’s men’s counterparts also triumphed as the male’s match returned after 13 years
READ MORE: British Basketball League announces plans for an All-Star Game Advertisement
Team North regrouped and led 45-42 at the break as the game became a close-fought affair.
However, a 9-0 run in the third saw Team South lead 74-67 and they soon pushed on to win the inaugural match-up with Fagbenle claiming Most Valuable Player with 20 points alongside eight rebounds.
‘It’s great, it’s a fun game, I had much more fun than I anticipated and to be honest it was more competitive than I anticipated,’ London Lions’ Fagbenle said post-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 was very quick, fitting everybody’s styles of basketball together. Honestly I didn’t know what to expect but it was fun.’
The men’s match-up was more akin to it’s NBA counterpart with offence outweighing defence.
Team South’s 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-fought affair until Team South pulled away in the second half
The men’s match was more akin to the NBA All-Star Game – where offence outweighed defence
Reflecting on the match, Leicester Riders star Allen told Mail Sport exclusively afterwards: ‘It feels good to be MVP. It was a good time, everybody out there was having fun. Everybody has their own personality, and it was cool getting to know everyone and figure out the guys who 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’ definitely excited the crowd inside by draining five three-pointers during his attacking prowess.
Team South’s efficiency was clear throughout and demonstrated by the fact they led 104-87 going into the fourth.
This margin grew even wider during the fourth when Matt Morgan’s triple extended their lead to 120-96 with six minutes and 33 seconds remaining.
Alongside Allen, Tevin Olison was an offensive juggernaut scoring 27 points and collecting eight rebounds for Team South. Meanwhile, LeQuincy Rideau had a double-double for the beaten 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 being victorious 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’s, expect a bigger and better spectacle next year as the sport continues to grow in stature.
