U14s

Leopards 87 (17, 42, 59)
Ipswich Tomcats 61 (22, 35, 55)

On the road again for the unbeaten Leopards – this time to the home of Ipswich Tomcats who were hoping for their first league win – Leopards were looking to go 3–0.

The Big Cats were greeted by a far better team than their results have suggested. The hosts were certainly ‘up’ for the match and fought for every ball from the outset. As a confident team, the Leopards were able to respond with some good passing basketball. However it was Ipswich who played the better man-to-man defence in the first period and deservedly ended the quarter ahead. The Leopards were not finishing their chances and the Tomcats fast break counter was particularly effective.

The second quarter saw the Leopards change their defence and turn the game around as the hosts struggled to adjust. The visitors were able to stem the fast break and create more controlled shooting opportunities on offence and crucially gain control of the boards. The switch enabled the Leopards to reach the interval 42–35.

The third quarter was yet again to prove crucial as the Tomcats outscored the Leopards but got deeper into foul trouble in their desperation to stop the Leopards. This latter fact turned the match back into the visitors favour as key players for Ipswich fouled out of the game. The Leopards were focused on the outcome of the whole forty minutes and knew the momentum would swing back their way.

As a result the final quarter was dominated by the Leopards who were able to control the boards and find key scores at pivotal times to move the game beyond the very keen Tomcats. Throughout the match the Leopards were able to show their strength in depth using all their players throughout the match, without diminishing any intensity. Once more the emphasis from the coaches is, as always, on the ‘TEAM’ and the core belief:

Together Everyone Achieves More

The boys demonstrated this in an extremely pleasing way – setting the team up for the next challenge on the journey to become better players in a better team able to cope with all eventualities.

Leopards: Lawrence Levy 35, Roman Lososovskij 23, Tom Bostock 13, Jake Lloyd 4, George Crosby 2, Alex Sarakis 2, Neil Addison 2, Michael Darlow 2, Joe Graves, Tom Bryan, Nathan Crossman (Capt.).

Game Stats for last four games

U18s

Leopards 70 (25,36, 53)
Topcats 73 (18, 45,60)

Leopards: Nathan Wilson 26, Ben Warden 18, Adam Edwards 11, Mike Jarvis 10, Ryan Westley 5, Charlie Graves, Russell Stonehouse, Stephen Edwards,

Leopards U16s lost to Hackney White Heat 82-68