Around the NBL – Week 5

By Bradley Gains on October 14, 2015

BRADFORD DRAGONS

Check out our latest recap taking a look at all the action from around the NBL.

In the National Trophy, all but two places in the quarter-finals have been filled as some teams completed their set of fixtures. Lancashire Spinners have made sure of top spot in the North Group after they held on to beat Bradford Dragons 101-98 on the road to improve to a 5-0 start. Nick George top scored with 19 points, while Steven Gayle and Kyle Carey both added 15 points apiece in the win.

As for the Dragons, they then suffered their third straight defeat in the competition on Sunday as they fell to an 85-70 loss at defending champions, Manchester Magic. Ellis Cooper led his side to victory with an impressive 29 points, while Henri Bongoma (pictured) had 24 for the visitors to finish the weekend with 48 in two games. Bradford drop to a 2-3 record and will now have a showdown clash with Derby Trailblazers for the final spot from the North in the last eight.

That’s after Derby split their weekend double-header at home. Team Northumbria claimed a 76-68 road win on Saturday, led by Neil Randolph’s 34 points, before the Trailblazers bounced back the following day to beat Leicester Warriors 86-60. David Watts (27) and brother Dan (24) combined for 51 while new recruit Sydney Donaldson filled the stat-sheet with 17 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals.

The Warriors finished the group with a 1-5 record having claimed their first win on Saturday after beating Tees Valley Mohawks 83-79 with Leome Francis top scoring with 21 points. The visiting Mohawks are now 0-5 in the group and play the unbeaten Spinners on the road in their final game.

Reading Rockets are now the only unbeaten side in the South Group as they maintained their 100% record for the season with an 86-80 win at home to Westminster Warriors. D’Montre Edwards again starred with 23 points while Wayne Yeboah added 16 points as influential captain Danny Carter was limited through injury. Abraham Ekperuoh had a game-high 30 points for the visitors.

Westminster had entered the game with a 4-0 record having beaten London Lituanica 82-75 the previous day with player-coach Julius Joseph chipping in with 16 points for his side. Lituanica are now 1-4 in the group along with three other sides as they all compete for the final quarter-final spot.

Hemel Storm booked their place in the quarter-finals after a double-winning weekend made it three straight victories in the South. They eased to a 98-67 win at home to Essex Leopards behind 23 points from Nick Rhodes and 21 from former Leopards captain, Carl Josey. On Sunday, Hemel defeated Kent Crusaders 92-68 away from home with Bode Adeluola pacing his side with 17 points as they left both opponents 1-4.

East London All Stars moved to the top of Pool 1 in the Patrons Cup on a 2-1 record after crushing Eastside Eagles 77-39 on the road. London Greenhouse Pioneers finish on 2-2 as they too saw off Eastside with an 81-72 home victory to give themselves hope of making the semi-finals.

Andre Arissol scored 27 points to lead Loughborough Student Riders to an 87-76 road win over Ipswich with Raheem May-Thompson adding a further 18 points. Loughborough finished their Pool 2 fixtures with a perfect 4-0 record after claiming another away win; courtesy of their 80-63 success against Nottingham Hoods as May-Thompson (25) and Arissol (17) combined for 42 points to send their side through unbeaten.

In Pool 3, Liverpool also advance without defeat as they recorded a resounding 104-71 win away at Worcester Wolves II with Chris Bigley leading the way with an impressive 33 points. Derbyshire Arrows then left Wolves winless in the pool as they claimed a 78-65 win on Sunday despite a 42-point haul from Erikas Jakstys.

Solent Kestrels also made it four wins from four as they topped Pool 4; easing to a 69-44 win away at London Westide. Brixton Topcats joined in on the fun as they edged past Westside with a slender 59-58 triumph with the teams now playing again to finish the group play.

In Division 3 North, American Mike Buffalo led Mansfield Giants (1-1) to their first win with 23 points in a narrow 80-79 road win at Sefton Stars (1-1). The Giants came from 13 down heading into the fourth to snatch the victory from the home side, who were led by Scott Summersgill’s 23 points. Doncaster Danum Eagles (2-0) continued their unbeaten start with a 99-78 road win at Birmingham Mets behind 22 points from Josh Metcalf.

Team Newcastle University (3-0) continued their long-standing league unbeaten record as Tayo Oyefusi dropped 30 points in a crushing 106-66 victory at home to Tees Valley Mohawks II (0-1). Team Birmingham (1-1) withheld a second half fightback from Leeds Force Academy (0-2) to claim a 68-61 win, while Myerscough College (2-0) narrowly defeated Newcastle Under Lyme College Knights (0-2) 74-73 despite a 26-point haul from Omar Khanani.

There was also a 65-57 road win for City of Sheffield Saints (1-0) as they defeated Derby Trailblazers II (0-2) on Sunday to get their league campaign off to a winning start.

Brunel Ducks (1-1) claimed their first win in D3 South as they recorded a 78-66 win on the road against Barking & Dagenham Thunder (1-1). Brentwood Fire (1-0) won their league opener after beating Barking Abbey Crusaders (0-2) 89-74 on Saturday. The following day saw another victory for Loughborough Student Riders II (2-0) as they defeated Oxford Brookes Devils (0-2) 89-74 with Jack England leading the way with 20 points.

Also, Thames Valley Cavaliers (2-0) moved to the top with a comfortable 83-70 win at home to Team Solent (0-1) while Middlesex LTBC (2-0) powered past Northants Thunder 86-57 to claim their second win as Modestas Krasauskas poured in 26 points.

While the South-West region had already began its NBDL league campaign, the rest of the divisional groups got underway this weekend. In the North-East, Gateshead Phoenix (1-0) opened with an 84-69 win over Sheffield Hallam Sharks (0-1), who were led by George Brownlee’s 22 points, on Sunday. Derby Trailblazers III (1-0) also made a winning start by beating Sunderland City Predators (0-1) 74-58.

Manchester Magic II (1-0) enjoyed a dominant 116-50 success over Carlisle Panthers (0-1) in the North West, while Blackburn College Spinners (1-0) edged out Liverpool II (0-1) for a 61-57 debut win. Tameside (1-0) recorded a convincing 80-53 win at home to Kendal Warriors (0-1) as Mike Sallabank had 23 points in the victory. Also, University of Chester (1-0) claimed a 71-58 road win at Prestons College Titans (0-1).

Southampton University (1-0) got off to a winning start in the South as they defeated Woking Blackhawk Flyers (0-1) 78-61 on the road. Kent Crusaders II (1-0) eased to a 77-48 win at Reading Rockets II (0-1) and there was also a victory for Folkestone Saints (1-0) as they saw off London United II (0-1) 96-71 away from home.

In the South-East, Cambridge Cats (1-0) defeated Anglia Ruskin University (0-1) 76-61 while the biggest win in the group went to London Lewisham-Thunder (1-0) as they dominated West Herts Warriors (0-1) 81-49. Dagenham Dragons (1-0) needed overtime to beat Northants Taurus (0-1) 86-84 on the road as Lawrence Brown and Lamar Roberts scored 25 and 21 points respectively. Southwark Pride (1-0) began with a 97-81 win at home to Kings Lynn Fury (0-1) as Hoopsfix All-Star Classic U17 MVP Gedi Juozapaitis dropped 41 points in the win. Meanwhile, Greenwich Titans (1-0) scraped past Essex Blades (0-1) with a 73-72 victory.

Shropshire Warriors (1-1) earned their first win in the South-West as they recorded a 93-78 home win over City of Birmingham (1-1) with Simon Hoar top scoring with 24 points. Cardiff City (1-0) opened their campaign with a win as they inflicted a first loss on Bristol Academy Flyers II (2-1) following their 84-57 success. On Sunday, Sporting Club Albion (1-1) earned their first win with a 74-69 home victory over Coventry Tornadoes (1-1), while Cardiff Met Archers (2-1) moved joint top courtesy of a 73-56 road win at Birmingham Mets II (0-2). Finally, Oxford Stealers (1-1) claimed their first league win with a 75-72 win at home to Swindon Shock (1-1).

Check back every week for the latest action from all the divisions across the NBL!

Do you like our work?

We have a tiny favour to ask. In 2018 we set out to make Hoopsfix sustainable by building our relationship directly with our readers. Up until now, Hoopsfix has been creating editorials, videos and podcasts to provide sorely missing coverage of the British game and its distinct culture and community.

We have funded Hoopsfix with our freelance work creating basketball media, but sadly that means not only does it fall behind our client’s priorities, but some of those clients are the same organisations we need to report objectively on putting us in a conflicted position.

We want to devote more time to our mission of helping British basketball reach its potential, and produce even more content for the basketball community by making Hoopsfix a sustainable 100% independent business funded directly by our readers through Patreon.

If everyone who enjoys our content chose to support us, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $3 per month, you can support Hoopsfix – and it only takes a minute.

We are tremendously honoured and humbled to have a community of people who value what we do, and we look forward to being at the forefront of the British game as it continues to evolve.

Support Hoopsfix