Seven-man London Leopards returned from Bristol with their first away league victory of the campaign after a fine performance on Saturday evening, winning 90-85.

 

With Carl Latham-Henry still missing with a back injury and Francesco Rinaldi also picking up a knock in training, the Big Cats travelled to the West Country with just seven players - with coach Jon Burnell and assistant Graham Hiscock kitting up in case of emergency.

 

To make matters worse, the visitors lost shooting guard Marlan Henry with a hip injury midway through the third period.

 

It was big men Leigh Greenan and Ignazio De Ferrari who did most of the damage for Leopards, finishing with 28 and 27 points respectively, while Ronnie Baker led the team superbly and finished with 17 points.

 

Leopards coach Jon Burnell couldn't disguise his delight after the victory:

 

"We were up against it with only seven players and I think anyone from outside the team who knew the situation would've expected us to lose. Bristol are a deep team with plenty of players and they're well organised and coached. But we knew from early in the week that we'd be going down there short-handed and we did a first class job.

 

"We stuck to our game plan, we went hard on the inside and then stretched them by going outside. The big guys won it with 55 points between them, but the whole team played hard and were focused. They all did what they were supposed to and we shot the ball well.

 

"Chris' [Michaelides] defence was exceptional, but the whole team worked hard and executed well. Bearing in mind the problems we had with two starters missing and losing Marlan with an injury, that's possibly the best road win we've had since I've been coaching."

 

Douglas McLaughlin-Williams led the Flyers with 27 points, with Greg Streete adding 18 and Arek Makowski 11.

 

Greenan was unstoppable in the opening minutes, scoring ten of their first 12 points off passes from Baker, with the veteran point guard adding the other two after an audacious fake. The teams were level at 12 midway through the period, before De Ferrari opened his account with an NBA-distance three and Sam Richard hit a jump shot putting Leopards 17-12 ahead.

 

The sides exchanged baskets for the rest of the period, with De Ferrari taking his tally to seven before Jonny Wright hit a three-pointer sending Leopards into the first break 29-24 up.

 

Tony Berry opened the second period scoring for Bristol, but five Baker points and a Richardson basket kept the Big Cats ahead, as they led 36-35 at the midway stage of the quarter. A trey from American forward McLaughlin-Williams gave Bristol the lead, but De Ferrari and Greenan took control again and another big three from the Peruvian saw Leopards open a six-point lead going into the final minute of the half. A tap-in on the buzzer from Asa Waite cut Leopards lead to 45-42 going into the locker room.

 

That lead was wiped out inside ten third period seconds as McLaughlin-Williams drained a three, but Greenan took his shooting for the night to seven from nine before scoring from close range putting Leopards up 49-45.

 

A Chris Michaelides trey kept the visitors ahead before ten unanswered Flyers points put them 57-54 up at the midway stage of the quarter.

 

Scores from Greenan and De Ferrari ensured Leopards stayed in touch before the latter hit another trey levelling the score at 62 with two minutes of the period remaining and Michaelides and De Ferrari both drained from downtown in the final minute of the quarter sending Leopards into the final break 68-66 ahead.

 

Baker stretched that lead to five with his second trey of the night to open the fourth period, only to see Makowski answer from downtown for Flyers. Scores from De Ferrari and Baker put Leopards 75-71 ahead with five minutes remaining, but although Richardson answered a pair of Streete free-throws, Flyers cut the gap to a single point with three minutes remaining when McLaughlin-Williams drained from long range.

 

That proved to be as close as the hosts came down the stretch as Greenan converted an and-one and a De Ferrari jumper gave the Big Cats an 83-77 lead going into the final two minutes.

 

With Flyers forced to foul, De Ferrari converted a pair from the line, only to see Danny Williams hit a three to make it a five point game.

 

Michaelides stayed cool at the line to hit three of four foul shots as Leopards' lead grew to eight in the final minute, but McLaughlin-Williams drained a three before Greenan was called for a foul sending the big American to the line for three foul shots. He missed the first, but hit the second two to make it a three point game with 21 seconds remaining.

 

Baker was called for a travel as Leopards inbounded the ball after a time-out, but London got a stop, and England's most capped player iced the win from the line lifting his side up to joint sixth in the table and see Flyers drop to fourth.

 

 

 

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