Levett Essex Leopards powered their way into the National Cup third round with a comfortable 99-57 victory at Barking & Dagenham Thunder last night.

Led by 26 points from Ladi Brown, Steve Ogunjimi’s team never trailed against their Division Three hosts, and they will now host Westminster Warriors at the Brentwood Centre in the last 16 on Sunday, October 25.

Will Ashby opened the scoring for the visitors, but they were tied at 11 before a 13-0 run sparked by treys from Ashby and Brown, and finished with a lovely move between Courtney Van Beest and Justin Hitchman put Leopards in control.

Brian Nguru sent the visitors into the first break with a 26-15 lead, and further treys from Ashby and Brown kept them ahead in the second period before England junior international Evan Walshe hit a triple to give Leopards a 46-28 half-time lead.

Scores from Ashby, Hitchman and Tosin Oyelese saw Leopards open the second half with seven unanswered points, and they went into the final break 79-47 ahead before closing out the game with a 20-10 fourth period.

Ashby added 13 points, Hitchman 11 and Walshe ten on a night when all ten Leopards got on the scoresheet.