The trip to high-flying Reading started well for the Big Cats, but with captain Mike Martin missing with a leg injury the home side took control on the boards to close out the win.  AJ Roberts opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and that set the tone for a good day for the American guard who finished with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists

A Jamie Hayes jump shot off Roberts’ assist put Leopards 11-7 up at the mid-stage of the first period and although the hosts briefly took a 16-15 lead, a score from new signing Alex Scotland-Williamson sent the Big Cats into opening break with a 21-17 lead,

Perry Lawson drained a trey to open the second period and make it a five point game but an 11-2 run from the hosts saw them regain the lead and despite a massive dunk from Scotland-Williamson to wrap up the half, it was Rockets who took a 42-35 lead.

Scores from Roberts and Darrell Bethune saw the Big Cats open the second half strongly but as the foul count continued to grow they were unable to get any closer than four points and it took a buzzer-beating lay-up from Bethune to cut the deficit to 65-55 at the final break. A Justin Hitchman and-one made it an eight point game with six minutes remaining but when Scotland-Williamson reacted angrily to a foul call and fouled out on a technical the game was effectively over for the Big Cats as they slipped to a third straight league loss

Darrell Bethune finished with 18 points and seven boards, while Scotland-Williamson had eight rebounds to go with his four points. American forward Chris Hooper proved to be unstoppable for the home side with 40 points and 23 rebounds

2011 – Leopards make history in Manchester

Manchester Magic 78 (20,31,48) Leopards 93 (19,45,69)

OUSMAN Krubally poured in 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in under 24 minutes of action as London Leopards won their fifth straight game with an 93-78 victory at Manchester Magic. Mark Clark’s side trailed 24-22 two minutes into the second period before going on an 18-2 run, and they never looked back.

Leigh Greenan finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, with guards Josh Johnson (11 points, nine assists and six rebounds) and Josh Sharlow (nine points, eight assists, four rebounds and four steals) also lighting up the stat-sheet.

It was the first time in nine attempts that the Big Cats had won at the Amaechi Centre, and they remain in joint second place in EBL Division One. The game was won on the boards, with the visitors out-rebounding Magic 45-29 while Jeff Jones’ side had no answer to Krubally as he hit 12 of his 15 field goal attempts.

Keith Page led the Magic with 23 points, including 12 from beyond the arc, and seven assists, while Ryan McAdam finished with a 20 point, 11rebound double-double in 36 minutes. James Warwick made his Magic debut against one of his former clubs, and he finished with ten points in 22 minutes.

Greenan opened the scoring, and after a tight start the visitors were still 10-9 ahead in the mid-stage of the quarter. That grew to 12-9 after a pair of Greenan free-throws, but despite the introduction of Krubally it was the home side who closed out the period strongly to lead 20-19 at the first break.

Alan Metcalfe made it a three point game with the first score of the second quarter and despite Marlan Henry tying things at 22, Ambokile Bell restored Magic’s lead with a jump shot. That proved to be the last time Magic were in the lead as Krubally hit a pair of baskets of Sharlow assists, and the home side were held scoreless for six and half minutes.

Johnson wrapped up the tear with a trey, before Page hit a single free-throw to end the run, but it was Leopards who scored the final points of the half as Sharlow drained from downtown to send his team into the locker room 45-31 ahead.

That lead never dipped below 13 in the third period, and a 10-0 run capped by a trey from Keelan Cairns saw Leopards go 58-35 up four minutes into the quarter.

They were still 23 ahead with two minutes remaining in the third following a Krubally drive to the basket, and despite a pair of Warwick free-throws, the Big Cats went into the final break 69-48 ahead.

Henry made it a 24 point game when he opened the final period with a trey, and Magic could only shave a point of that deficit in the first five minutes of the quarter as the Leopards picked up their fifth away win in seven league games.

Leopards: O Krubally (30), L Greenan (18), J Johnson (11), J Sharlow (9), K Cairns (9), M Henry (8), B Pintor Henningsen (5), S Esprit (3), R Broadmore (DNP)