Leicester lashed! Worthing Thunder so close to 100 points in third straight win

Howard Crawford on the attack for Thunder v Leicester / Picture: Kyle Hemsley

Worthing Thunder won their third game in a row when they beat the Leicester Warriors 97-78 at the Durrington High School.

Playing some great team basketball especially in the first half, they extinguished the threat of the visitors with ease.

The first period started well for the Warriors as they put the first points of the game on the board. It was to be the only time they led in the entire game (after just 53 seconds) as Thunder majestically took control.

Early treys from Jack Sunderland and Tom Ward saw Thunder into a big early lead and it was only two late long shots by Warriors' Leon Henry that kept Thunders lead down to nine points at the first break, 26-15.

Kieran Farrell was in flying form / Picture: Kyle Hemsley

The second quarter again saw Thunder at their fantastic best, not only playing well with the ball but also with a determination to entertain the watching live streamers. The lead grew quickly as the minutes passed.

Treys from Zaire Taylor and Ishmael Fontaine helped keep the score moving. Incredible no-look passes and round-the-back plays made it a game to savour. At the halfway mark the lead had stretched to a big 21 points (55-34).

Thunder again took the third quarter but it was getting a bit more scrappy. The ever-dependable pairing of Howard Crawford and Max Richardson in both attack and defence kept Thunder in control. While both headed towards another double double it was Tom Ward who was impressing in this spell. It was his athletic performance that caught the eye once again as he continued his season's top form. As the period ended Thunder held a 25-point lead (76-51) and the game as a contest was all but over.

Despite losing the final period by six points Thunder were always in control. Treys followed by Taylor, Fontaine and Jack Sunderland as the time began to run out.

Ishmael Fontaine gets on the scoreboard / Picture: Kyle Hemsley

Thunder introduced the bench to see out the game, a move that saw Brandon Laryea produce a massive block on his opponent only to see it chalked off as a foul by an eagle-eyed referee. As time ran out Thunder showed the confidence running through the ranks - hopefully in time for the play-offs in a few weeks time. The final score was 97-78 but could have been greater but it was a great afternoon's entertainment!

Thunder have two home games this weekend - Nottingham Hoods (Saturday April 10, 3pm) and Barking Academy London Lions (Sunday 11, 4pm) to complete their regular season.

SCORERS - Howard Crawford 28 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks. Max Richardson 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Tom Ward 16 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block. Jack Sunderland 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists. Ishmael Fontaine 11 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists. Zaire Taylor 9 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals. Keiran Farrell 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 steal. Nick Ballone 1 steal.