HAVING won 65-38 against Tornadoes at the start of the season, coaches Robb and Davis decided to use this LTG U15s Cup quarter-final match as a chance to try out some different plays in readiness for upcoming league matches, writes Matthew Chalkley.

However, with four minutes of the match remaining and the scores tied at 43-43, the match was still perfectly in the balance this time around.

The match started well with Hobson sinking a three-pointer to open the scoring and Leadonites soon stretched out to a 7-0 lead with Nicholls adding baskets before Tornadoes scored their first points.

But with five different scorers in the first quarter it was the Ledbury team that went into the break 17-11 ahead.

Tornadoes started to eat into that lead with two three-pointers early in the second.

But scores from Fisher, French, Hobson and Wheeler gave Leadonites a slender 26-23 lead at the half-time break.

Tornadoes' fifth and sixth three-pointers of the match gave them a one-point lead by the second minute of the third quarter.

This was soon wiped out by an offensive rebound and a put-back score from Spriggs and a lay-up from Chalkley.

Further baskets from Calvo-Whitelegg, Hobson and Spriggs again eked out the lead to four points by the close of the third quarter at 41-37.

Tighter Leadonites defence saw the Tornadoes three-point shooting dry up in the fourth but still the hosts levelled up the scores at 43-43.

There were three more scores before the match ticked into the final minute with Leadonites just two points up and either over-time or a last-gasp winner on the cards.

The late match tension was eased when Hobson secured the victory with a late converted free-throw allowing Leadonites to just squeak through to next month's semi-final round.