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The London Lightning ran into a hot and determined defending champion Thursday night at the Avenir Centre in Moncton.

The Bolts and the Moncton Magic (7-2) exchanged leads for most of the game, but the reigning National Basketball League of Canada champs pulled away to a six-point lead with about three minutes to play and held on for a 105-97 win.

The loss ends a seven-game winning streak for London, which fell to 8-2, and a frustrated Doug Plumb said for the first time this season the Lightning were outworked.

The coach felt officiating might have played a part in the loss as the Magic were awarded 35 free throws to London’s 17, but the fact the Lightning made just eight of those shots from the charity stripe didn’t help either.

The Bolts weren’t shooting well and were outrebounded 57-39, but still managed to keep the game close into the final minutes.

“We were missing shots that we normally hit and that’s how it goes sometimes — the shots don’t go in,” Plumb said. “The officiating was frustrating, an 18 free throw difference in their favour, but that being said, we were outrebounded by 18 when they were playing a smaller lineup in the second half.”