DOUBLE VISION!

Both eventually fouled out but not before dumping 35 points (25 to Knox, 10 to Bates) on a Leopards team still adjusting to the new presence of left-handed, outside-shooting American point-guard Brandon Kephart.

To bring 6ft 9in Bates off the bench was 6ft 8in Knox's salvation, defensively, after 6ft 7in English Rastafarian forward Mark Quashie roasted the rookie four times in the low post in a faultless opening quarter of 14 points personal. The rousing stanza ended 32-32.

Life post-Steve Parillon for Thunder took its second step into 2005 and the bonus of Solent Stars' two Americans firing Teesside Mohawks out of town and Reading Rockets being in Cup action meant Thunder leaped into fourth spot.

Indeed, too, Rockets' defeat of City of Sheffield Arrows by one point in the National Cup Final is further encouragement to Worthing in their quest for National Trophy and Play-offs success.

Knox had 13 rebounds in 21 minutes, Bates five in 17. Knox shot 11 of 15 in two-pointers, Bates four of eight and led the game in shot-blocking with three. Add 6ft 8in Okoli Ugbana to the rotation and Thunder can now compete with the division in the height stakes.

In the scoring, they are still calling the tune, even without Parillon. League MVP power forward Gaylon Moore led the game with 26 (plus 16 rebounds), then came guard Steven Gayle with 23 and eight. David Butterworth could make only three of 12 three-pointers but James Brame, Sam Mead and Gayle combined for three more, for a team strike rate of 32%.

Taking the middle quarters by seven and 11 killed off Leopards at 83-65 but Thunder kept showtime rolling right to Gayle's concluding off-the-backboard tee-up for Moore's dunk.