Coventry Crusaders 83 (24,44,53)
Essex & Herts Leopards 96 (27,46,72)

Steve Ogunjimi again led the way for Leopards as they powered their way into the EBL Division One play-offs. The English point-guard top scored with 26 points, including seven three-pointers, to seal post-season play for the Big Cats. The turning point for Jon Burnell’s team came in the third period, so often their Achilles heal this season, when they outscored the struggling Midlands outfit 26-9 to take a firm hold on the game.

Despite knowing that they must win to guarantee a play-off spot, the visitors started slowly, with the impressive David Jones scoring five straight points for Crusaders. Although Brian Moore got Leopards off the mark with a three-point effort, the Big Cats continued to struggle as Coventry opened a 12-5 lead. Ogunjimi drained the first of three treys in the opening period, but with the home side hitting a high percentage of their shots, and Jones taking his tally to nine, it took until the final minute of the quarter for Leopards to draw level with a Rodney Alexander three. Craig Robertson restored Coventry’s lead before Ogunjimi put Leopards ahead with a trey, and a last second basket from captain Matt Eames gave the Big Cats a three point lead at the first break.

That lead was extended to seven points with scores from Troy Selvey (pictured) and Alexander, but Coventry narrowed the gap to one with a 9-1 tear. The remaining seven minutes of the period proved to be a nip-tuck affair, with the teams exchanging baskets, and six straight points from Adam Smith gave Crusaders the lead, before Jones extended it to four with another three-pointer. Scores from Mark Quashie and Selvey levelled the score at 40, before threes from Moore and Ogunjimi sent Leopards into the locker room with a 46-44 lead.

The third period belonged to Selvey, as the former Crusaders centre hit 11 points, single handidly outscoring his old team. After Jones had levelled the score with the first play of the half, an “and-one” from Ogunjimi took the lead out to five before a 14-2 run effectively wrapped the game up for Leopards. An Alexander three from a Moore assist was the highlight of the run, and coach Burnell was able to give Ogunjimi his first rest of the game with 2:56 remaining, and the period was rounded off by a Selvey dunk to send Leopards into the final break with a 19 point lead.

Having been the only Leopard not to score during the first three periods, Laurent Irish finally burst into life during the fourth quarter, scoring Leopards first four points and going on to score 10. A pair of Ogunjimi threes, separated by an Irish dunk, took the lead out to 22 with 2:40 remaining, and although the Big Cats relaxed to allow the hosts to put some respectability into the scoreline, Leopards were left to celebrate a play-off spot in their first season.

Leopards: S Ogunjimi 26, T Selvey 21, R Alexander 12, M Quashie 12, L Irish 10, B Moore 8, M Eames 6, R Lloyd 1.

Juniors
Leopards U16 Boys lost at table-toppers East London Royals, 50-82 but have made the play-offs. They will play at Plymouth Raiders in the first round.