Essex & Herts Leopards 84 (13,37,57)
Worcester Wolves 51 (12,28,39)

Just 15 months after their first game, the Leopards reached the National Cup final with a comprehensive mauling of high-flying Worcester at Goresbrook on Saturday.

Back-court duo Demetrice Williams (pictured) and Steve Ogunjimi led the way with 20 points each, but it was a superb defensive display from the Big Cats that sent them into the final.

In a dominant display, the Big Cats trailed for only a minute during the early stages of the game, and will now face Reading Rockets at Birmingham’s NIA on December 4.

After a tight start, Leopards scored 11 consecutive points to lead 13-4 with 3:54 on the clock as a successful “and-one” from Ogunjimi capped the run. However, four points from Ty Shaw helped the visitors fight back as they scored the final eight points of the period, to send Leopards into the first break with a 13-12 lead.

Errol Seaman opened the second period scoring, and baskets from Ogunjimi and Troy Selvey saw Leopards extend the lead to 22-14 three minutes into the quarter - and the home side never looked back from there. Ogunjimi went on to add a further five points, and Sam Salter dropped a three-pointer late in the period as Leopard reached half-time with a 37-28 lead.

Worcester’s Matt Collins scored from behind the arc to open the second half and reduce the Leopards’ lead to six, but that was as close as the visitors came as the Big Cats produced a dominant performance with their three-guard line-up proving far too quick for a side who had won their first 11 games of the season. Williams showed the kind of form which had persuaded Leopards’ coach Jon Burnell to bring him over from Atlanta as he doubled his points tally to 16. Salter also added a pair of threes as he continued his good form, and his second shot from the Land of Plenty sent the Big Cats into the final break with an 18-point lead.

Any thoughts of a comeback from the visitors was killed off during the early stages of the fourth quarter as Selvey scored the first six points from the Big Cats and Salter added yet another trey, forcing Wolves’ coach Josh Cooprider to call a time-out with Leopards leading 66-43 and 7:09 remaining.

The break did little for his team as Ogunjimi added another three to effectively wrap things up, and during the final minutes Brian Moore, Ed Gregory and skipper Matt Eames all put their names on the scoresheet to send Leopards into their first final.

Leopards: S Ogunjimi 20, D Williams 20, T Selvey 16, S Salter 14, E Seaman 5, B Moore 3, D Jones 2, M Eames 2, E Gregory, R Lloyd.