Essex & Herts Leopards 108 (15, 44, 79)
Coventry Crusaders 83 (31, 48, 61)

Leopards completed a perfect January as they wrapped up their seventh successive victory, at Goresbrook on Sunday.

However it wasn’t as easy as the scoreline suggests, with the Big Cats forced to fight back from a 18-point deficit during the first period, before taking control with a dominant second half display.

The win was Leopards’ successive success at Goresbrook and completed a six-game winning month – the first time Jon Burnell’s side have achieved the feat.

Demetrice Williams led the way for the home side with 26 points as all of the Leopards’ starters scored in double figures as the Big Cats avenged the 100-91 defeat at Coventry on the opening day of the season, and ensured that they have the head-to-head tiebreaker with Crusaders if the two clubs finish level on wins.

Scott Neely who had caused Leopards so much pain with a 40-point haul at the Coventry Sportscentre was held scoreless on the night as the final three quarters saw the home side again produce some stifling defence. Although Errol Seaman opened the scoring for Leopards, the first quarter proved to be a dismal one for the home fans as Crusaders rained in five three-pointers.

Back-to-back treys from Roberts, Jeremiah Roberts and Sam Oatman saw the Crusaders lead grow to 20-7, and although Brian Moore stopped some of the rot with a pair of threes, Hamlet scored a late jump shot and Roger Lloyd missed a pair of free-throws as the visitors led 31-15 at the first break.

Whatever coach Burnell said during the break, it certainly worked. Leopards’ James Warwick and Laventure exchanged threes, before a 13-3 run from the Leopards cut the lead to 37-33 with 4:22 on the clock. Troy Selvey scored six points in the run, and provided an assist for Seaman who hit five in the tear to put Leopards back into the game.

The two teams exchanged basket for the remainder of the period, with shooting guards Steve Ogunjimi and Sam Salter both hitting a pair of baskets as Leopards went into the locker room trailing by four.

Salter’s three two minutes into the second half cut the deficit to one before Williams also sunk a try to give Leopards the lead for the first time. A pair of Roberts free-throws level the score at 52, but Salter drained back-to-back threes off Williams assists, and Leopards never trailed again.

Once Coventry fell behind, they seemed to lose all discipline, and five points from both Seaman and Salter put the Big Cats in complete control as they effectively wrapped things up at 79-61. With Leopards needing to win by ten to seal the series win against Coventry, the Big Cats never took their foot off the pedal during the fourth quarter, steadily building the lead.

Williams led the way with 12 points and Ogunjimi chipped in with seven during the period as the Big Cats completed a 43-point swing to move back to fifth in the table.

Leopards: D Williams 24, E Seaman 19, S Salter 18, S Ogunjimi 17, T Selvey 13, B Moore 6, D Jones 3, J Warwick 3, R Lloyd 2, E Gregory 1, M Eames (DNP)