After David Ajumobi had tied the game with a three pointer going into the final 90 seconds, Mike Martin scored what proved to be the winning basket with just over a minute on the clock.

But it was frantic finish to the game as Tosin Oyelese missed a pair at the free-throw line and in the dying second the home side had the chance to win the game as Leopards’ turned the ball over at a half-court inbound – but the Big Cats played some tough defence to collect the win.

Their chances of progressing to the semi-final are slim, however, as they need to win at Westminster Warriors next Saturday and hope that Lituanica win by a single point at Hemel Storm but score less than 70 points.

Ajumobi led the Big Cats with 19 points and five rebounds in a game where he played as point guard down the stretch against a big and physical Lituanica team. Martin added 15 points, eight boards and three assists, with Shaq Lewis finishing with 13 points for the Big Cats.

Coach Steve Ogunjimi opened with a big starting line-up that saw Tosin Oylese and Justin Hitchman on the floor and Brian Nguru the only guard in the unit, Leopards started well with Ajumobi hitting a jump shot, and a pair of Martin scores helping them to an 8-2 lead – their biggest advantage of the game.

The home side replied with seven unanswered points to take their first lead but three point plays from Hitchman and Shaq Lewis helped the visitors stay in touch as Lituanica went into the first break with a 21-19 lead.

The Big Cats noticeably stepped up their defence in the second period, and scores from Lewis. Bennett and Hitchman tied the score with four minutes gone, and six straight Ajumobi points followed by a shot clock beating trey from Lewis sent the visitors into the locker room with a 39-37 lead. Nguru doubled that lead with the first score of the third period but a 14-7 run from the home side put them back in charge and, despite a Hitchman basket, the hosts went into the final break with a 58-51 lead.

As the home side continued to live at the foul line, they made it a nine point game before Lewis got Leopards off the mark in the fourth period.

A 7-2 run capped by a Nguru trey brought Leopards within four before Ajumobi cut the lead to 62-61 going into the final five minutes to set up the grandstand finish.

Veteran big man Petraits led the home side with 22 points and 18 boards, with Vetrenka adding 19 points for the Lithuanians.

1999 – Towers outlast Leopards

HARIBO London Towers 92 (21,39,65)
Lewis 32, Bucknall 20, Johnson/Leak 15
adidas London Leopards 82 (16,39,61)
Johnson 29, Capers 24, Brantley 20
Dairylea Dunkerrs Championship @ Crystal Palace NSC
HARIBO London Towers made it two wins from two with a 92-82 home win over arch-rivals adidas London Leopards.
Tied 39-39 at half-time, little separated the teams throughout the second half until the Towers stretched away in the closing stages.
Towers’ Danny Lewis hit a game-high 32 points, with Steve Bucknall adding 20. Leopards’ leading scorers were Larry Johnson, with 29, and Kenya Capers, with 24.