Coventry Crusaders 100 (22,44,66)
Essex & Herts Leopards 91 (19,44,68)

Leopards opening league game ended in disappointment as they were outgunned by a superb shooting performance from Coventry’s Scott Neely.
Neely scored 11 three-pointer in a personal haul of 40 as the home side shaded a tight game, on Saturday evening.

The two sides were tied at 83 with 3:09 remaining, but Neely hit a pair of treys in a 7-0 run to give a vastly improved Coventry side the victory. Steve Ogunjimi led the Big Cats’ scoring with 22, while Sam Salter added 18 for a Leopards side who were missing Roger Lloyd, Brian Moore and Ed Gregory.

The visitors started slowly, as Neely gave an early indication of what was to follow with a pair of threes as they opened a 12-5 lead. A time-out from coach Jon Burnell steadied the Big Cats, and eight points from former Crusader Troy Selvey plus a late three from another ex-Coventry player, Dave Jones, saw the visiting team go into the first break trailing by three.

A single free-throw and a dunk, both by Selvey levelled the score in the first minute of the second period, and a Laurent Irish jump-shot gave Leopards their first lead of the game before Jones’ second trey of the game, off a Skye Buck assist, retained the Big Cats advantage. Forward Jeremiah Hamlet kept his side in the game in first half of the second period, scoring all eight of the Coventry points, and the teams continued to trade baskets. Neither side were able to get their lead above three, and an Ogunjimi trey off Errol Seaman’s assist levelled the score at 44 before captain Matt Eames saw a half-court shot on the buzzer ruled out.

Eames did manage to be the first Leopard on the scoresheet in the second half with a pair of free-throws, and the Big Cats looked to have taken a grip on the game when scores from Selvey, Seaman and Ogunjimi saw them open a six point lead, at 58-52. Predictably it was Neely who shot his side back into the game with eight straight points, but five points from Salter and four from Ogunjimi saw Leopards go into the final break with a 68-66 lead.

Hamlet and Neely continued to hit threes as Coventry relied on their outside game, while Leopards inside play saw the hosts begin to get in foul trouble – although Ogunjimi struggled from the charity stripe. A Salter two off Ogunjimi’s assist levelled the score at 81-81 with four minutes remaining. Ogunjimi levelled again after Sam Spare’s first basket of the night, before Neely took the game by the scruff of the neck. A par of Neely threes split by a Marcin Twierdzinzki free-throw saw Coventry take a 90-83 lead with 1:55 remaining, and although Ogunjimi ended the run with a free-throw, the home side closed out the victory from the charity stripe.

Leopards: S Ogunjimi 22, S Salter 18, T Selvey 16, E Seaman 13, L Irish 12, D Jones 6, M Eames 4, S Buck.