Dave Ryan reports…
Levett Essex Leopards will look to avoid a National Cup banana skin when they travel to Kent Crusaders for a fourth round tie, on Sunday.
While the Big Cats have made a stuttering start to the campaign, Crusaders have come flying out of the blocks with three straight wins in Division Two as well as reaching the second tier Patron’s Cup semi-final.
But it was their 105-52 demolition of Division One side London Lituanica in the Cup third round that caused the biggest shock as the biggest defeat suffered by a top flight side against lower division opposition since the competition was revamped in 2003.
Coached by former Leopard Lloyd Gardner, the Kent side comprises players from the Barking Abbey Basketball Academy that worked with Leopards during their 2012 treble winning season.
They won the 2015 play-off title, beating the league-winning Leopards in the semi-final, but an entirely different roster struggled last season and they were relegated.
With a year’s extra experience under their belts, Crusaders look set for a quick return to Division One and they are a side Leopards won’t be taking lightly as they look to set up a home quarter-final against Hemel Storm or Reading at Leisurezone.
A disastrous first period for the Big Cats paved the way for an 80-60 defeat against Manchester Magic at the Brentwood Centre, on Sunday.
A big crowd at the Brentwood Centre were left stunned as Steve Ogunjimi’s team went more than six minutes without a score as reigning champions Magic poured in 18 unanswered points.
The 24-4 first period deficit proved to be insurmountable for the home side, and was Leopards’ lowest scoring period for over ten years since being outscored 4-2 in a brutal fourth period at Reading.
Injuries played a big part in Leopards’ woes with the Big Cats struggling at the guard positions due to injuries to Bode Adebuola and Brian Nguru, with Ogunjimi making a brief first appearance for the first time since returning to the club. Justin Hitchman and Caleb Taberner was also missing, but the home side were able to give guard AJ Roberts his debut, with the American having a quiet seven points and two rebounds.
Only Mike Martin troubled the scorers in the first period as the Big Cats struggled offensively but they finally clicked in the second period as Dougie Bennett started and finished a 15-4 run to cut the lead to 30-19 but Magic answered with an 8-2 run before Roberts hit a foul shot to send Leopards into the locker room trailing 40-24.
Martin opened the second half scoring and a Bennett and-one kept his side in touch before Dave Ajumobi hit five points in a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 51-44 at the final break.
Having finally given the crowd something to cheer about, that proved to be as good as it got for the home side as Jack Minister and Ryan Lewis hit treys to open the fourth period and although Roberts hit five straight points to cut the deficit to 11, Magic finished strongly to continue their unbeaten start to the campaign.
Ajumobi finished with 15, with Martin adding a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double. In the absence of Adebuola to add ten points, Simon Anumba led all scorers with a 30 point haul, with Lewis finishing with a 14 point, 13 rebound double-double.
The Big Cats return to the Brentwood Centre on Friday November 11 when Reading Rockets are the visitors, tip-off 8pm.