Essex & Herts Leopards 72 (16,32,60)
Paws London Capitals 68 (15,37,52)

Game Photos from www.tgsphotos.co.uk

Game statistics.xls

Leopards gave their fans an early Christmas present as they collected their third EBL Division One victory of the season. In the Big Cats final game before a three week break, Hayden Herrin again led all scorers with 18 points as the Leopards produced a dominant third period performance to take control of the game.

It was a key win for Jon Burnell’s team as they closed the gap on their Neasden-based visitors to a single game as they look for a place in the end-of-season play-offs. Scoop Wicker opened the scoring, but Capitals hit back with a 7-1 before Mark Quashie, playing probably his best game of the season, levelled things up with a pair of lay-ups. Laurent Irish and Wicker both scored from close range to open a four-point gap before the visitors again levelled things up. A pair of Charles Madike free-throws put the visitors ahead, but Rodney Alexander had the final word before the first break, converting an and-one opportunity to give his side a one-point lead at the break.

Capitals opened the second period strongly, with a 7-1 run, and the visitors led for the rest of the half as Leopards struggled with turn-overs. Brian Moore marked his return to action after six weeks out with a knee injury with a three, but aside from that only Herrin and Quashie put their names on the scoresheet. Laurent Irish’s missed lay-up from point-blank range highlighted the Big Cats struggles, but although the visitors led by as many as seven points, back to back scores from Herrin ensured that Leopards only trailed by five at half-time.

Darien Baptiste opened the scoring for Capitals after the break before the home side took control of the game. Predictably it was a Herrin score that launched the 18-1 run, and a Wicker alley-oop followed by a Quashie basket and a Matt Eames jump-shot put the Leopards into the lead with 6:30 remaining, and they never trailed again. Wicker added a trey to open a four-point advantage, and further scores from Roger Lloyd and a pair of Eames free-throws made the score 49-40. The run was wrapped up by a Herrin three, and as Milek Jivens finally found some room the Capitals shooting-guard scored five points to help his side narrow the gap to 54-50 win a 10-2 run. The Capitals run was ended by a Herrin lay-up, and another trey from Wicker sent Leopards into the final break with an eight point lead.

A put-back from Capitals’ Matthew Lord launched a scrappy fourth period, which saw only 28 points scored. A Quashie lay-up, and a pair of scores from London’s Kingsley Aguara were the only points scored during a four minute period, but a turn-around jump shot from Alexander saw Leopards’ lead back out to four at the midway point in the period. A pair of dunks from Chiedozie Offiah, who played for Leopards in the Hosana Summer League, cut the Big Cats’ lead to two with three minutes remaining.

However that was as close as the visitors got, and another trey from assistant coach Moore seemed to install new belief in the hosts. Offiah cut the lead again, but Alexander confidently iced two free-throws, and Herrin sunk one from the charity stripe with 20 seconds remaining to seal a much-needed victory for the Leopards.

Leopards: H Herrin 18, S Wicker 16, M Quashie 14, R Alexander 7, B Moore 6, M Eames 4, L Irish 4, R Lloyd 3, T Christie, C Mark (DNP)

Juniors
A great day for the Big Cats at Wodson Park on Saturday, started with the The U16 Boys 76-55 victory over Reading Rockets followed by the U18s thrashing Woking Blackhawks 72-37.

The U16 girls were beaten by Swifts in Southend though, 65-43

Full Match Reports to follow