Leopard's ladies help Team GB make history

29 July 2010

AN INCREDIBLE four members of London Leopards Ladies helped Great Britain under-20s make history by winning the European Championship B Division title.

The Barking Abbey side contributed Mary Durojaye, Ella Clark, Josephine Salmon and Kashmere Joseph as Team GB defeated Slovakia 47-46 in a thrilling final in Macedonia.

Damian Jennings' side had already clinched promotion to the top flight, but their success in the final saw them become the first British age group team to clinch a FIBA Europe title.

Durojaye finished with 12 points and six rebounds in the final and averaged 9.7 points and 6.7 boards per game in the tournament.

All four of the Leopards' players played a healthy part in Britain's success as they won six of their seven games.

Meanwhile, Leopards' Jesse Chucku and Teddy Okereafor have helped England win three of their first games in the men's European Championship B Division in Tel Aviv.

Chucku is averaging 7.5 points and 3.5 rebounds plus an impressive 2.5 blocks per game.

Okereafor is dishing out 3.5 assists, pulling down 3.75 boards and scoring two points per game for an England team who look a good bet to progress to the quarter-finals.

Leopards have now announced their fixtures for the season and the Big Cats of the men's side open their National Trophy campaign with a home game at Brentwood against Reading Rockets on Sunday, September 26.

They then face four successive away games before a National Cup third round game at Brentwood on Sunday October 31.

A week later they play their first home Abbey game of the campaign when they host Bristol Academy Flyers.

The women start off in the National Cup at Oaklands College on October 9 before hosting Brixton Topcats on Sunday October 17 at Barking Abbey.

They return to Barking the following week to face league champions City of Sheffield Hatters before they make their Brentwood debut on Sunday, October 31 in the National Cup.

Barking Abbey Leopards open their Division Four campaign on Sunday, October 3 when they host London Feltham Warriors at Barking.

All three teams' schedules are available on www.leopardsbasketball.co.uk