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London Leopards coach Jon Burnell has described the Big Cats home game against Coventry Crusaders as the most important of the season.

 

Burnell's team host Crusaders at the Brentwood Centre on Sunday afternoon (4pm) knowing that a victory will massively improve their chances of avoiding relegation from EBL Division One.

 

The Crusaders' win against basement side Sheffield Arrows on Saturday saw them move level with Leopards in ninth place, with both teams having won five of their 17 games and Burnell knows the importance of this week's game:

 

"It's vital we get the win," he said. "We've struggled to close games out in the last couple of weeks - we could have won any of those three games, but we've come up just short.

 

"We're short on numbers, and that clearly showed on Sunday, but there's no point looking for excuses, we need to get the victory - it's our most important game of the season."

 

When the teams met in the midlands just before Christmas, London found overtime a step too far as they went down 101-92, having let a late lead slip away. Carl Latham-Henry poured in 36 points for the seven-man Big Cats who were forced to kit up assistant coach Graham Hiscock on his 47th birthday, with Leigh Greenan adding 17 and Sam Richardson 11.

 

A double-digit victory for Leopards this weekend would give them the head-to-head decider between the two teams, but regardless of the margin a win would see them put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three.

 

The Big Cats will hope that leading scorer Carl Latham-Henry is fit to return for the weekend's action having missed last week's defeat against Bristol due to illness.

 

 

Tees Valley Mohawks continue their fight against relegation on Sunday when they host Bristol Academy Flyers in the second game of a weekend double header.

 

Mohawks go into Saturday's game against Leicester Warriors with a 3-13 record, while Bristol's come-from-behind victory at London Leopards last Sunday saw them move back into the top four with an 11-5 record.

 

The teams have yet to meet this season, with the return due to take place next Sunday, but Flyers completed the double against the north east team in 2008/9, winning 112-107 and 99-57.