Essex & Herts Leopards 73 (21,40,65)
Reading Rockets 89 (26,31,56)

Leopards sponsor Chiquito's mascot Alberto and Leopards official dance troupe Pulse

A fourth period collapse saw Leopards slip to defeat in their opening EBL Trophy game at Goresbrook on Saturday.

The Big Cats had looked in control of the game, leading by 11 at the final break, but ran out of steam to be outscored 35-8 in the last quarter. It was a result that left Leopards coach Jon Burnell disappointed, but also encouraged: “We clearly need to work our fitness” he said. “But we proved that we can compete with one of the best sides in the league. We have two weeks before our next Trophy game, and we’ll be working hard to ensure that we are fitter.”

To rub salt into Leopards’ wounds, it was Lithuanian guard/forward Tom Kersis, who they had tried to sign the previous week, who did most of the damage for Reading, draining 25 second half points after being held to five at half-time.

American centre Troy Selvey (pictured) was in fine form the hosts in the first quarter, hitting their first four points, and reaching the first break with a personal tally of 13. Selvey’s second basket of the night gave Leopards their only lead of the first period, and the visitors opened a nine point lead with a minute remaining before a Steve Ogunjimi three and a lay-up and a single free-throw from Selvey cut the lead to 26-21.

The second period saw Leopards take a firm grip on the game, limiting the big spending Rockets to just five points. Sam Salter opened the scoring with a pair of free-throws, and despite Burnell picking up a technical foul after the refs failed to notice Selvey being fouled under basket, a trey from Salter gave Leopards their first lead from the early stages. With the scoring now shared around and some tough defence, Leopards took control, and Laurent Irish made amends for an earlier blown dunk when he converted a great assist from Ogunjimi to send the hosts into the locker room with a nine point lead.

Neither side were able to score more than four successive points in the third period, but Leopards remained composed, and a pair scores from Skye Buck split by a Salter three send the Big Cats into the final break ahead by 11.

The visitors opened the final period strongly, and with seven-foot tall James Cook scoring five points, Reading scored 10 straight points to virtually wipe out Leopards’ lead before Burnell called a time-out. Cook added another basket to give Reading the lead for the first time since early in the second period, but scores from Errol Seaman and a try from Buck put the home side up by four. A 5-0 run from Reading was ended by a Telvey basket with four minutes remaining, but that was as good as it got for the Big Cats. Buck fouled out shortly afterwards, and the hosts scored only one more point, as Kersis drained 12 points to lead his side to victory and spoil the Leopards’ Goresbrook debut.

Leopards: T Selvey 20, S Ogunjimi 13, E Seaman 13, L Irish 10, S Buck 9, S Salter 8, M Eames, R Lloyd (DNP), B Moore (DNP), E Gregory (DNP)