Gianni Lettieri, Jon May and Andy Mathurin put on an exhibition show as Southend Saints hammered Colchester Tigers in Division One of the Essex Basketball League.

Lettieri (27 points), May (27) and Mathurin (24) scored the bulk of Saints' points, but it was the exciting way in which they scored them which really caught the eye.

Saints made their customary quick start to the game and rattled in the first 11 points in double-quick time as Tigers found themselves on the back foot.

When Mathurin scored an outrageous 360-degree dunk to put Saints up 24-11 it seemed as though the Saints were on cruise control.

But Tigers fought back and had reduced the defecit to nine by half-time through the efforts of Jon Barton and Nathan Syrett.

However, Saints extended their lead to 20 points early in the second half and subsequently, with the contest all but over, decided to put on a show for the crowd.

Lettieri and Mathurin produced a series of dunks which had everyone in raptures. On one occasion Mathurin seemed to move to the basket from a position close to the sideline.

Meanwhile, cross-town rivals Southend Scorpions were on the wrong end of a revenge attack as Colchester Hornets beat them 77-64.

Scorpions had beaten Hornets in the first leg of their Cup semi-final a week before, but were turned over by their rivals after a disappointing first half.

Unlike Hornets, couldn't apply the finishing touch their offensive play had deserved and went in trailing 42-25.

Midway through the second half, Scorpions made a tactical time-out and a defensive change saw them draw to within four points with three minutes to go.

However, Hornets hung on to record the victory with some spirited defence in the final stages.

Attention now switches to the teams' rematch in the Essex Senior Cup semi-final second leg when Scorpions can gain their revenge.

Scorpions' second squad were out of luck as well as they fell to a 94-64 defeat to Baddow Comets.

Southend only trailed 37-36 at half-time, but found it difficult to maintain the intensity with a depleted squad and their coach absent from the game and fell to a heavy defeat on the night.

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