2017 – Leopards win thriller
Leopards bounced back from their loss at Leicester with a thrilling 68-65 victory against Bristol Academy Flyers on Sunday. A big crowd at Southend Tennis & Leisure Centre saw an exciting game which the Big Cats sealed in the final seconds.
Leopards led for 34 of the 40 minutes but where never able to pull away and the game went down to the final seconds. Carl Josey looked to have won the game with a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to give Leopards a four point lead, but a massive trey from Francisco Robles made it a one point game with seven seconds left on the clock.
Hernandez was sent to the foul line where he drained both shots, and some tough defence meant that Robles’ two point effort failed to connect.
A Greg Streete three gave Flyers one of only two brief leads in the first half before Josey put Leopards in front with back-to-back baskets. Josey kept the Big Cats ahead and they took control of the game as Adu launched a 9-0 run, and Leopards went into the first break with a 25-18 lead.
Hernandez opened the second period scoring off Cummings’ assist and the American big man hit one of two free-throws with 6:20 on the clock to give the hosts a double digit lead. That proved to be as good as it got in the first half as only a Rowell Graham dunk and an Adu lay-up troubled the scorers, and with Tom Martin being called for a harsh intentional foul in the final seconds as Flyers finished with a 10-4 run to cut the Big Cats’ lead to 36-32 at half-time.
Enrique Garcia and Doug McLaughlin-Williams tied the score with the open baskets of the second half before Cummings and Josey both drained from the Land of Plenty to make it a six point game. But Roy Owen launched a 7-0 run for the visitors as McLaughlin-Williams gave Flyers their first lead since the opening stages with 4:26 in the third period remaining.
Adu broke the tear and Dan Dunscombe put Leopards up by four before Graham sent the hosts into the final break with a 51-46 lead. McLaughlin-Williams and Adu exchanged baskets to open the final stanza but back-to-back threes from the visitors put them up by one with two minutes gone.
Four Cummings points gave Leopards a lead they would never lose again with 5:12 on the clock and he hit another pair at the foul line to put Leopards 59-57 ahead with three minutes remaining. Streete made it a one point game and a big Dunscombe block kept the Big Cats ahead
Josey – who led the Big Cats with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals – made it a three point game off an Hernandez assist with 51 seconds remaining before Enrique Garcia set up the thrilling finish with a dunk from an inbounds play.
Adu finished with 15 points, five boards and three assists on the court where had previous starred with Essex Pirates while Cummings had 11 points, four assists and as many rebounds. Streete and McLaughlin-Williams each had 17 points for Flyers, pulling down 12 and ten rebounds respectively.
Leopards: C Josey (16), T Adu (15), S Cummings (11), G Hernandez (9), R Graham (6), D Dunscombe (4), L Brown (4), T Martin (3), I Fontaine, J Davis (DNP), D Camille (DNP).
2002 – Tigers beaten by Rod
DG London Leopards Kool Kats 111 (28,52,77)
Rod Brown 30, Jason Kimbrough 27, Maurice Robinson 20
Thames Valley Tigers 102 (25,50,68)
Shawn Jamison 23, Eric Burks 17,Barry Bowman 16
BBL Championship @ Brentwood Centre
DG London Leopards Kool Kats moved up to fourth position in the BBL Championship Southern Conference table with a 111-102 home win over Thames Valley Tigers on Sunday evening.
Following a close first quarter, Leopards pulled out an eight-point lead in the second quarter at 50-42, before Tigers responded with an 8-0 burst to tie the game at 50-50.
In the third quarter, Barry Bowman fouled out and Shawn Jamison was ejected as Leopards’ took advantage to lead 77-68 heading into the final period.
The closest Thames Valley got in the fourth quarter was four points at 98-94 with 1.15 left on the clock.
Rod Brown led all scorers with 30 points for Leopards, while Jamison bagged 23 points for Tigers.
Leopards' history 