London United 109 (23, 58, 82)
Essex & Herts Leopards 83 (21, 38, 68)

Size proved to be the key as Leopards’ EBL Trophy hopes took a knock with a heavy defeat at Brunel University on Sunday. With Mark Quashie unavailable and Roger Lloyd lost in North West London until the second half, the Big Cats struggled against the size of the home side to leave their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals in the balance.

United had added the huge Mantia Callender to their squad since the two sides met at Brentwood a fortnight before, along with Polish shooting guard Jack Jagodka. The one bright point for Leopards’ coach Jon Burnell was the form of young forward Tom Christie (pictured), who with Quashie missing and Lloyd lost, was drafted into the starting line-up for his first game of the season. Christie finished with eight points and nine rebounds, and although he clearly tired during the latter stages after missing pre-season due to injury, he showed that he can give Burnell another option defensively.

Scoop Wicker returned to the starting line-up after being ineligible for the National Cup victory against West Herts, and he again led the Big Cats’ scoring, picking up 27 points despite spending all of the second half on four fouls.

The depleted Leopards opened strongly, with Hayden Herrin hitting the first four points, and with Christie and skipper Danny Scott also getting on the scoresheet, they took an early 11-3 lead. A trey from Wicker extended that lead, before United’s long range shooting saw them pull themselves back into the game, and they levelled the score at 14 with three minutes of the first period remaining. A three-point play from Wicker and a Christie free-throw saw the Leopards open a two-point lead, but that proved to be the final time they had the advantage as United closed out the first period with a 9-3 run.

Scores from Wicker and Brian Moore kept Leopards within two, but technical foul calls on Herrin and Burnell together with some bizarre refereeing decisions saw London go on a 12-2 run, led by the impressive Mumuni, to lead 39-27 midway through the second period. It was always going to be uphill for the Big Cats from then on, and Wicker picked up his fourth foul after a silly foul on former London Leopard Peter Deppisch, who then completed a four-point play, and it took a long range buzzer-beater from Herrin to reduce the half-time margin to 20.

Lloyd’s arrival strengthened the Big Cats, but it Wicker who opened the second half with something to prove, hitting Leopards first eight point as they opened with a 10-2 run. Lloyd also added seven late points and Herrin chipped in with five, as Leopards cut the deficit to 14 at the final break.

That improvement did not last as Leopards noticeably tired against the depth of United during the fourth period, and they were forced to depend on long-range shooting as the home side ran out comfortable winners.

Leopards: S Wicker (27). H Herrin (23), B Moore (10), D Scott (8), T Christie (8), R Lloyd (7), M Eames, B Gooch, A Prestcott.