Game Photos courtesy of TGS Photos www.tgsphotos.co.uk

Sam Salter led a depleted Leopards side to victory with a 19 haul as the Big Cats chalked up their 16th league win of the season, at Brentwood on Saturday.

With Steve Ogunjimi injured, captain Matt Eames unwell and Ed Gregory representing his university in the BUSA finals, coach Jon Burnell was forced to name himself on the teamsheet this season. However Burnell did not need to join the action as his side produced a solid performance to withstand a late Mohawks fight-back.

Dave Jones and Salter got Leopards off to a good start with three-pointers, but with Eric Milambo scoring ten points during the period, the home side were forced to chase the Middlesborough team for most of the first quarter.
Facing 7’ 6” centre Neil Fingleton, the Big Cats were always going to struggle on the inside, but James Warwick forced the giant to pick up his second foul a minute before the first break, and Warwick’s two successful free-throws sent Leopards into the second period trailing by just one point.
Back-to-back scores from Troy Selvey and another three from Jones helped Leopards into a 31-29 lead three minutes into the second period, and Roger Lloyd’s dunk on Fingleton maintained that advantage.

The former North Carolina college player was clearly frustrated with inability to stop Leopards penetrating the visitors’ defence, and after collecting his third foul – again on Warwick – he then picked up a technical foul for dissent. It wasn’t all good news for Leopards, however, as Warwick and Salter missed both sets of free-throws.

Lloyd, easily the Big Cats weakest player at the charity stripe, showed them how to do it, and with Warwick hitting six points down the stretch and Salter five, Leopards went into the locker room at half-time with a 51-44 advantage.

A put-back from Errol Seaman and three points from Warwick extended that advantage to ten, and treys from Jones and Salter increased that margin to 13 at the midway stage of the half. The visitors hit back with eight unanswered points before Salter ended the run with another long range effort, and four points from Selvey plus a steal and basket from Brian Moore sent the Big Cats into the final break with a nine point advantage.

Three-pointers from Teesside’s Michael Gayle and Jason Nicholson cut that lead to five in the two minutes of the fourth period before Seaman halted the run. Five Salter points in an 8-0 Leopards run effectively sewed things up at the midway point in the quarter, with the home side leading 87-78.

Although the visitors outscored the Big Cats 8-3 in the closing stages, three points from veteran Moore wrapped things up to send the large Brentwood crowd home happy.

Leopards: S Salter 19, E Seaman 17, J Warwick 17, T Selvey 13, D Jones 11, B Moore 8, R Lloyd 7, T Christie, J Burnell (DNP)

Leopards return to action on Sunday when they travel to a Worcester Wolves side they have already beaten twice at home this season. Wolves are currently one place above the Big Cat in fifth place, with both sides level on 16 wins, though Worcester have a game in hand.