Dave Ryan reports…
It’s crunch time for Levett Essex Leopards as they prepare to host Hemel Storm at the Brentwood Centre on Sunday (4pm).
The Big Cats’ relegation fears intensified over the weekend as a pitiful display saw them lose 64-58 against basement side Westminster Warriors on Saturday, and although they produced a much improved performance – at least for the first three quarters – they went down 82-65 at Solent Kestrels.
Steve Ogunjimi’s team are now joint 12th with Worthing Thunder, and as they face a weekend which also sees a trip to Bradford Dragons, they desperately need to end a run of eight straight league losses.
Hemel will arrive at Brentwood on a four game winning streak which has seen them move up to eighth spot with a 9-11 record with the signing of American forward Khapri Alston proving key for the Herts team.
Leopards and Hemel have met twice this season, with both games going down to the wire. The early season National Trophy meeting at Brentwood saw Storm score a last second trey to take the win – although both side subsequently exited the competition at the group stage – while it was only three weeks ago that Storm prevailed in overtime in a game which will be remembered for a season-ending injury to new signing Alex Scotland-Williamson.
Saturday’s trip to Bradford will see Leopards face a Dragons’ side who are seventh in the table with an 11-10 record. Having gone out of the Trophy at the group stage, they reached the National Cup quarter-final before losing to eventual winners Team Northumbria.
Darrell Bethune led the way with 21 points when the sides met at Brentwood in November as the Big Cats won a thriller 83-79.
Ogunjimi will certainly be looking for a better performance than the dismal display at Harlow on Saturday as they lost to a Westminster side who had gone into the game with an 0-17 record.
A tight game had seen the hosts lead 25-19 at half-time and took their lead out to 11 points at the midway stage of the third period before Warriors closed the quarter on a 14-2 run to lead 41-40 at the final break.
The game was tied heading into the final 35 seconds but AJ Roberts saw a shot rim out and Jon Johnson hit a dagger trey before Bethune missed a triple and the visitors wrapped up the win at the foul line.
Bethune and Justin Hitchman each finished with 13 points, adding eight and five rebounds respectively, while Roberts finished with ten points.
The following day’s trip to Solent saw a much better display before fatigue set in during the final period and the visitors managed just three points.
A knee injury to Bethune clearly hampered the Big Cats and he looks to be a doubt for the rest of the season.
The Big Cats started well with a Bethune trey capping a 10-2 opening run, and they went into the first break with a 23-21 lead. Although the hosts led by as many as six in the second quarter, Jamie Hayes scored from downtown to cut the deficit to 47-44 at half-time.
Dougie Better hit a triple to put his side up by two four minutes into the second half and Tosin Oyelese scored a tip-in to keep his side ahead going into the last minute of the third period before Solent hit seven unanswered points to set up what proved to be a dominant final quarter.
Roberts led the way with 21 points, eight boards and three assists with Perry Lawson adding nine points, six assists and as many rebounds.
