TIP-OFF had to be delayed by ten minutes on Saturday to allow a capacity crowd into the Watford Leisure Centre to watch the Watford Royals take on the current Budweiser League leaders, London Towers.

Royals took an early lead of 6-5 before a 12-2 run from the Towers put them 24-12 in front.

Royals Ernesto Moreno came off the bench to score eight points in a minute to end the first quarter with Royals trailing 29-22.

The sheer size of the Towers front line was causing serious problems for the Royals big men who battled hard under the boards to take away any easy shots.

Ray Schultz took the play to Towers on a slam dunk with two minutes to half time on his way to a game high 27 points.

Royals Cleave Lewis had been able to hold his namesake on the Towers side, Danny Lewis to just four points in the half.

The half time score of 48-41 was indicative of a tough tussle.

A blazing start from the Royals opened the third quarter, Cleave Lewis finding open men around the basket to punish the Towers' attempt to pressurise the Royals up the floor.

Three pointers from Alan Hopper and Jimmy Ratliff pulled the Royals to within two at 55-33 with six minutes gone.

The Towers Danny Lewis then scored ten successive points to pull his side away.

In the fourth quarter Royals coach Vince Macaulay-Razaq urged for more defensive pressure, bringing on young Drew Spinks who shackled Towers Karl Brown while Phil Powe did a good job on Hamilton.

Three more three pointers from Ratliff closed the gap to just eight points with four minutes to go, but tiredness crept in, and that was as close as they got before the Towers closed out the game to win 101-87.

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