Worcester Wolves 84 (34,51,65)
Essex & Herts Leopards 69 (13,27,54)

Leopards second half recovery was not enough as they slipped out of the play-off positions following a defeat at Worcester. The visitors were out-run by the Wolves during a first half which saw them score only 27 points. But despite trailing by as many as 24 at one stage, the Leopards fought back to reduce the arrears to eight with two and a half minutes remaining before the home side sealed the victory from the line.

The performance of Troy Selvey summed the game up for the Big Cats. The American centre scored only five points during a disappointing first half, but went on to lead the visitors with 20 points after a much better display after the break. Selvey had opened the scoring for Jon Burnell’s team, and although Barry Lamble leveled the score, Laurent Irish restored the Big Cats lead. However a three from Josh Cooprider put Wolves into a lead they would never surrender Leopards struggled to cope with Wolves’ up-tempo game, and with Selvey receiving some rough treatment in the paint, the Big Cats were simply run into the ground, as despite four points from point guard Steve Ogunjimi, they trailed 34-13 at the first break.

The second period saw the visitors at least manage to slow the Wolves offence down, though they continued to struggle to score. Brian Moore drained a three for the Leopards, but their reliance on long range shooting proved to be the downfall, missing seven successive treys. Rodney Alexander (pictured) proved to be the visitors’ main offensive threat in the quarter, scoring six of their 14 points, and with Roger Lloyd and Selvey both the victims of some harsh treatment from the referees, Wolves stretched their lead to its peak as they reached half-time with a 51-27 advantage.

There was little sign of any recovery during the opening stage of the second half, but a pair of Alexander free-throws sparked a 15-4 run which brought Leopards back into the game. A Steve Ogunjimi jump shot reduced the arrears to 65-51 in the final minute of the period, and a buzzer-beating three from Alexander saw Leopards cut the deficit to 11 as they went into the final break.

Selvey scored all of Leopards’ first eight points of the fourth period, as the teams shared the first 16 points, and it was same play whose put-back saw Leopards take Wolves’ lead down to eight points. A pair of free-throws from Cooprider and a Chiverton basket effectively ended the comeback as Ogunjimi scored only one of four foul shots, and Burnell was left to make a cameo appearance for the final 41 seconds as his side slipped to their 12 league loss of the season.

Leopards: T Selvey 20, R Alexander 18, S Ogunjimi 13, M Quashie 6, B Moore 5, L Irish 4, R Lloyd, M Eames, J Burnell, B Stacey.

Juniors
U18s beat Waltham Forest 73-60 to stay on target for the play-offs but both U16 team were beaten. Boys lost at Towers 67-45 and girls lost at Wodson to Croydon - 31-88.