The Leopards closed their home programme for the season with an emphatic victory over their arch-rivals the Towers at the Brentwood Centre last Thursday.

Leopards are coming into form at the right time for the play-offs.

Thursday's conquest of the Towers was the Leopards 11th win out of their last 13 games, suggesting that they will be a team that others will want to avoid as the final eight sides battle for a place in the Wembley final.

Leopards never trailed during the court which was played in an intense atmosphere.

The Towers walked on court to be greeted by the sound of "Lindo, Lindo", a reference to the Towers assistant coach Clive Lindo who played in the controversial defeat of the Big Cats at the National Sports Centre last month.

The hardcore Leopards supporters turned up the heat and the team responded by a display of intense, exciting basketball that thrilled the near capacity crowd.

The first quarter was a close affair, and Mo Robinson opened the scoring from the foul line but both sides traded baskets in the opening minutes, the highlight of which was a Rico Alderson three point shot, a move that he has added to his repertoire in recent weeks.

Leopards had to adjust when Robinson collected his second foul and Bucknall tied the game at 17-17 for the Towers.

However after baskets from Alderson and Jason Kimbrough, Leopards held a narrow one point advantage going into the second quarter.

At the start of the second period Towers once again got on level terms but from that moment on the Leopards never looked back.

Acting Coach Kojo Mensah Bonsu introduced Rashod Johnson into the game, and he soon demonstrated that the knee injury that has restricted his court time in recent games is gradually being overcome.

Midway through the quarter the Leopards had inched ahead by four points but the next play, a slam from Alderson, ignited the Leopards offence and when Jason Kimbrough hit his first three point shot of the night Leopards had surged ahead by nine points and Leopards were ahead 46-37 at the half time interval.

Towers made immediate inroads into Leopards advantage and reduced the lead to just four points, however they could not have been prepared for the onslaught that was awaiting them.

In a matter of minutes the game was transformed by the outside shooting power of Rashod Johnson and Kimbrough.

The dynamic duo drained one three point shot after another, and rarely has a team been blown away so effectively.

In a little over four minutes Johnson hit three three point shots and Kimbrough added a further two.

No wonder at the end of the third quarter Leopards fans were ecstatic the Big Cats were ahead by 24 points, and the meagre Towers presence in the crowd were quite naturally stunned.

The final period started with former Leopard Eric Burks hitting a pair of three point efforts, however Towers 8-0 run was abruptly halted by a pair of free throws by Dave Attewell.

Coach Kojo decided it was time to rest Kimbrough and Johnson, replacing them with Rod Brown and JR. Alexander.

Initially the Towers whittled the lead down to 13 points at 91-78 but a Rod Brown basket reversed the trend and Kimbrough added a further basket to leave the Leopards 15 points ahead as the game entered its final two minutes.

The closing moments saw a defining moment of Leopards basketball. Chasing a loose ball Rashod Johnson managed to flip basketward for Alderson to rise high above the rim to slam the basket home.

The 'alley-oop' basket which brought up the hundred points capped a fine display as Leopards came home 101-86.

The Leopards points scorers were; Jason kimbrough 25, Rashod Johnson 18, Mo Robinson 12, Rico Alderson 25, Michael Martin nine, Rod Brown six and Dave Attewell four.

In full flight: Leopards' Rico Alderson converts a shot in the BBL conference match against the London Towers at the Brentwood Centre last Thursday.

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