Worthing Thunder 122 (25,52,77)
Essex & Herts Leopards 99 (25,52,87)

A dismal run at the start of the third quarter cost Leopards dearly as their seven game winning run came to an end, on Saturday. The Big Cats were outscored 20-2 during a manic three minute spell, and they were never able to make up the deficit against the joint league leaders.

The run was in direct contrast to the first half, where the sides had exchanged baskets in the high-scoring encounter. The visitors were given an early indication of the threat Alfredo Ott would present as he scored Thunder’s first five points, but five points from Sam Salter off a pair of Demetrice Williams assists saw Leopards take their first lead at 8-7.

The teams exchanged points, with Troy Selvey proving unstoppable in the paint, and although Worthing went on a 7-2 run to lead by five, a Selvey put-back and a three-pointer from Dave Jones sent them into the first break tied at 25-25. The second period continued in the same fashion, with Selvey scoring Leopards first six points as the teams remained deadlocked at 31-31 after three minutes.

Another trey from Salter plus three-from-four foul shooting by James Warwick and a Dave Jones jump-shot kept level at 41 by the midway stage of the period, but Leopards suffered a blow when Selvey picked up his third foul, and was forced to sit down for the final 3:44 of the half. A Salter basket off Errol Seaman’s assist and a Jones three-pointer gave Leopards what proved to be their biggest lead of the game at 49-45, but despite a free-throw and a put-back by Roger Lloyd, a later score from Pat Bates sent the two teams in level at the break.

Seaman restored the visitors’ lead with the first score of the second half, but when Selvey returned to the bench after collecting his fourth foul, things rapidly deteriorated for the Big Cats. Ott converted the bonus shot off Selvey’s foul, and Steven Gayle also scored a pair of “and-ones” as Salter joined Selvey on four fouls. After Lloyd had been T’d after an altercation with Okolie Ogbana, the run was finally ended by a score from Jones, but with the home side leading by 16, the damage had been done. Worthing’s American forward Jonathan Woods also collected a technical foul, and treys from Jones and Brian Moore saw the lead cut to 11.

A pair of free-throws from Ogbana saw the lead go back up to 14, but a pair of Jones baskets and a Williams score saw the Worthing lead cut to ten at the final break. Any chances of a comeback were effectively ended seven seconds into the final period, as a bizarre foul call on Tom Christie – making his comeback after a year with the British Rowing Team – saw coach Jon Burnell receive a technical foul, and with Ott converting three of the free-throws and scoring on the inbounds, Thunder’s lead went up to 15

The Big Cats never got within ten again, despite Williams adding 12 points to take his tally to a club record 33, as Selvey and Moore both fouled out. Salter joined the pair on the bench after collecting the game’s fourth technical foul for disputing Moore’s fifth foul, as Leopards saw their winning streak come to an abrupt end.

Leopards: D Williams 33, T Selvey 22, D Jones 11, E Seaman 10, S Salter 10, B Moore 3, J Warwick 3, R Lloyd 3, T Christie 3, E Gregory 1, M Eames.