Gary Smith has some shock news for NBL followers. His Worthing Thunder team really do work on defence.

Thunder have won ten of their 11 Trophy and Conference games to date, despite conceding an average of almost 87 points per match.

They have leaked 100 and 104 in their two league games to date, and won both.

Firepower at the other end has usually seen them through. They have topped 100 points in nine of their 11 outings, including their only defeat at Solent.

That makes for an average of 103.5 points per game.

It is a style of play which does not please the purists, but the regulars at the Leisure Centre would not have things any other way.

Coach Smith side: "All the time we keep scoring like that we will keep winning but I am concerned by our defence. That's what my game is based on.

"We need to work on it but it's a matter of getting things across to the players. It will take time.

"I am certianly not happy that teams are scoring 100 against us but the good thing is no-one has found a way of stopping us yet.

"We have players who can score 25 points in two minutes."

Thunder came alive at home to Reading last Saturday to score a 111-100 success having trailed 56-52 at the half.

Sean Hampton hit 36 points but Paul Mundy-Castle was many people's MVP as he hit 27, despite being double and triple-teamed.

That result left Thunder, Plymouth and Teesside as the only teams with two wins.

Thunder go to what used to be one of the hotbeds of English basketball next Saturday as they visit Kingston Wildcats at Tolworth.

The compact little gym next to the A3 was a fortress for Kevin Cadle and his Kingston Kings in the mid-Eighties but Thunder will expect nothing less than another win off the Conference new boys.

Mark Vingoe should make that one and might even be over his foot injury in time for tonight's Trophy quarter-final at home to Coventry (8pm).

Less good news for James Crabtree, who walked out on Thunder earlier this season. He has been released by Finnish outfit Huima.