Essex & Herts Leopards 75 (15,33,53)
Teesside Mohawks 62 (16,30,42)

Game Photos from www.tgsphotos.co.uk

Leopards statistics.pdf

Steve Ogunjimi led the way with 24 points as Leopards fired themselves back into play-off contention with a win in their final home league game of the season. The biggest crowd of the campaign saw the Big Cats produce an excellent second half performance to leave them needing a victory at already relegated Coventry next Saturday to seal a place in post-season play.

The second half display from Jon Burnell’s was in direct contrast to the abject display they produced after the break at London Capitals the night before. The first half was an even affair, with Leopards’ 26-20 lead with six minutes of the second period remaining, the largest they held.

Brain Moore opened the scoring for Leopards after Harold A-Panzo had given Teesside the lead, and he led the Leopards’ first period scoring with five points. Another A-Panzo basket put Mohawks 12-6 up with 3:32 remaining, but a Laurent Irish basket and two successful free-throws from both Ogunjimi and Troy Selvey put Leopards up by one, before Corey Jackson converted from the charity strip to send the visitors into the first break 16-15 ahead.

Leopards opened the second period with back-to-back baskets from Selvey, as they took a lead they were to never lose, and the American centre went on to scored 10 points during the quarter. Jan-Michael Nation was called for an intentional foul on Eames with 6:07 on the clock, and after he converted one of the two free-throws, Roger Lloyd scored a put-back to put the hosts 26-20 ahead. A pair of Kaleston Woods baskets saw the visitors reduce the arrears to a point in the final minute, but Irish’s second basket of the game put Leopards 33-30 ahead, and although the Big Cats turned the ball over in the dying seconds, Selvey block Nation’s shot to send the hosts into the locker room ahead by three.

Selvey opened the third period scoring with a single free-throw, but Quashie grabbed the rebound from the miss, and was fouled as he scored, a completed the three-point play to put them 37-30 ahead. Moore extended the lead to nine with a trey, and Irish two put Leopards into a double-digit advantage for the first time before six straight Rodney Alexander points and an Ogunjimi basket took the lead to 53-35 before Teesside coach Tom Hanson called a time-out with 2:15 on the clock. That break seemed to work for the visitors, but despite a 7-2 run to close the quarter, Leopards still went into the final break with a 53-40 advantage.

Michael Gayle opened the final period scoring, but five points from Ogunjimi kept the home side comfortably ahead, and a three-point play from Selvey effectively wrapped things up at 65-49 with 3:43 on the clock.
There was still time for Ogunjimi to ensure his man-of-the-match award with a massive dunk and another trey, before Irish wrapped up the Big Cats’ eighth league win of the season.

Leopards: S Ogunjimi 25, T Selvey 15, L Irish 11, B Moore 8, R Alexander 6, M Quashie 5, R Lloyd 4, M Eames 1, B Stacey (DNP), F Empson (DNP)

Juniors
U18 Boys eased past basement club Woking Blackhawks 87-53 to move ever closer to that play-off spot.