The Leopards returned to the Brentwood Centre on Tuesday still on a high following the remarkable comeback to win their National Cup semi-final at the NEC in Birmingham.

However, what was at stake at the Brentwood Centre was vital league points.

The Leopards league form has been patchy and they went into Tuesday's game in eighth place in the Budweiser League and the points were crucial if the Leopards are to secure a reasonable slot in the end of season play-offs in the spring.

The Bears started well and two successful three point efforts took them into an early lead.

The Leopards fought back and Coach Mims used the first quarter to give nine players court time.

The second quarter saw Worthing go on an 8-0 run which helped them establish a lead they held until the interval.

With the Bears leading 51-49 the Leopards opted to give more court time to the starting five of Eric Burks, Brian Moore, Robert Youngblood, Tim Moore and Ben Baum and this combination began to dominate.

The all round court skills of Burks, coupled with the power around the basket of Tim Moore, took the Leopards out in front by nine points (62-53).

However, the Bears refused to accept defeat and fought back strongly to claw back the Leopards' lead to four points at the end of the third quarter.

During the final period the Leopards were soon in foul trouble and three shots from the line by Steve Nelson tied the game at 83-83 with just four minutes remaining.

Down the stretch the Leopards re-established control, and with Burks, Youngblood and Kruse all scoring in the last two minutes, the Leopards ran out victors by eight points.

The game finished with Tim Moore top scoring with 40 points and he was assisted by Eric Burks, now returning to the form that made him League MVP last season, on 28 points.

The Leopards contest the National Cup final on Sunday at the Sheffield Arena and it will be shown live on BBC TV's Sunday Grandstand.

Keeping a grip . . the Greater London Leopards player (black shirt) makes a run for the basket in the Budweiser League match against Worthing Bears at the Brentwood Centre.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.