Teesside Mohawks 70 (18,35,58)
Essex & Herts Leopards 92 (26,45,67)

Leopards rounded off 2005 with a second successive away victory as they returned from their longest trip of the season with a comfortable win. Errol Seaman led the Big Cats’ scoring for the fist time since joining the club in the summer, as he finished with 22 points.

The visitors had to do without Troy Selvey for long periods of the game due to foul trouble, but the Sacramento-born centre still added 16 points, with point-guard Demetrice Williams scoring 18. 7’ 6” giant Neil Fingleton opened the scoring for Mohawks, and their lead was doubled through Harold Apanzo, but once Leopards were off the mark through Seaman they were quickly in their stride.

Four points from Williams gave Leopards the lead with 7:12 on the clock, and the visitors were never to trail again. However, they saw Selvey sit down just after Williams had given them lead after he picked up his second foul of the game on Fingleton. Seaman and Williams scored four apiece as the Big Cats score nine unanswered points, and coach Jon Burnell was able to give nine of his 11-player roster court time in the period as they reached the first break with an eight point lead.

Brian Moore became the tenth Leopard to play in the opening minute of the second period, and quarter proved to be an even one as Leopards just shaded it 19-17 to taken a ten point lead into the locker room as Seaman added six points to his first period tally of ten.

Mohawks managed to reduce the Leopards’ lead to seven by the midway point of the third period, but with Moore and Sam Salter both sinking treys in a 10-2 run, the Big Cats looked to have sewn the game up as they took a 65-47 lead. However, Teesside hit back with a 10-2 run of their own to go into the final break trailing by nine.

After sitting out the whole of the third period, Selvey marked his return to the action with the first score of the fourth. An 8-0 run midway through the period effectively sealed things for the Big Cats, but there was still time for recent signing James Warwick to convert an “and-one” before Ed Gregory wrapped things up with a buzzer-beating three to send the Leopards home happy.

Leopards: E Seaman 22, D Williams 18, T Selvey 16, S Salter 12, S Ogunjimi 9, D Jones 6, B Moore 3, E Gregory 3, J Warwick 3, M Eames 2, R Lloyd.

Leopards return to action on Saturday January 7 with a trip to Solent Stars.