Bradford Dragons

Season over for Bradford Dragons

6/4/2017

Bradford Dragons’ season finally ended last weekend, with an 87-62 defeat at Manchester Magic, in the quarter finals of the end of season play-offs.

Magic have proved to be Bradford’s Achilles heel over recent seasons, with the Dragons not having had a sniff of a win against their red-rose rivals for quite some time. However, with Ricky Fetske returning to the Dragons’ line-up, following a forced two-week absence due to concussion protocol, the underdogs were confident of causing an upset.

But, the home side showed their intent right from the off, racing into an eighteen-point lead before the Dragons had put a single score on the board. In fact, it took four minutes of the game before Dragons’ veteran, Jason Swaine eventually sank the first basket for the travelling Dragons, quickly followed by a three-pointer from Marcus Gooding. Whilst Bradford held their own for the remainder of the opening period, when the buzzer sounded they were on the wrong end of a 28-13 score-line.

Bradford Dragons Club Award Ceremony 2016-2017

31/3/2017

Thank you to everyone who came to our 2016/17 Bradford Dragons club Awards Ceremony on Saturday night at Glyde House in Bradford. We hope that you all had a great evening and enjoyed celebrating the season with us. There are a number of people who made the night possible and a big thank you goes to each and every one of them.

Steve Valentine, Club Chairman said: “It was a fantastic evening which brought the club together - players, coaches, game officials and club officials. Dragons celebrated our successes of the past season and look forward to continuing the progress we have achieved. Dragons have a bright future and we’re really optimistic about next season.”

Head Coach Chris Mellor added: “It was a great night and it was good to see so many people there from the club along with the juniors and senior team.”

Dragons leave it late but sign off league season with a win!

28/3/2017

Bradford Dragons entertained London Lituanica in their final league fixture of the 2016/17 season. Despite leaving it until late in the final quarter, the Dragons finished the game as victors, with a 90-86 win over their guests.

The visitors have had an up and down season and it has been suggested that you never know which Lituanica team is going to turn up. Their troubles culminated in them forfeiting a game against Manchester Magic earlier in the campaign, which resulted in Manchester being awarded the game, with a statutory 20-0 scoreline, whilst the London side were also docked an additional two points.

On Saturday, the East Europeans (their entire team consists of Lituanian basketballers) travelled north with only six players and they were nearly down to five within three seconds of the opening quarter when Deividas Lygutas took a blow to the head in a challenge with Bradford’s Semi Eboigbe, forcing the visiting player to take a seat on the bench.

The Dragons’ own East European, Latvian Rihards Sulcs opened the scoring, with a two-point jump shot, however down the other end Lituanica fought hard and quickly pulled the scores back level. A turnover by the visitors saw Rafi Saipe play a defence splitting bounce pass through to Jermayne Laing, who was through on basket, however the normally reliable guard lost control of the ball, seeing it bounce off his foot and out of play.

Dragons split the weekend, but confirm place in the season finale.

22/3/2017

On the penultimate weekend of the National Basketball League Division One season. Bradford Dragons faced a double-header in the Dragons’ Den. Saturday’s opponents were Leicester Warriors, whom Bradford despatched back to the Midlands on the wrong end of a 92 - 86 score line, which also saw Bradford confirm their berth in the end of season playoffs. This game was followed, on Sunday afternoon, by the visit of Hemel Storm, who took revenge for the Dragons victory in Hemel, back in December, by taking the victory this time around, 80-87.

Saturday, saw the return of two former Dragons to the Dragons’ Den, Chris McGrew and Carl Pearson, both of whom now line up in Leicester colours. Meanwhile, Bradford were without their American power forward, Ricky Fetske, who was still suffering the after effects of a head injury the previous weekend.

In the opening quarter, it was clear that Bradford were missing the aerial presence of Fetske. However, in what turned out to be a rather scrappy affair, there was little to choose between the two teams when the buzzer sounded for the first scheduled break, although Leicester held a slight edge over their hosts, 20-23.

Dragons still can’t break the Magic Hoodoo!

15/3/2017

Bradford Dragons travelled over the Pennines, to the Amaechi Basketball Centre, on Saturday to face Manchester Magic. Manchester have had the better of the fixtures between the two teams, certainly over the past couple of seasons, and this one was no different, with Manchester record the victory, 80-64.

Lee Goldsbrough hit the first points of the game for Magic, but Bradford’s Ricky Fetske was as reliable as ever and quickly levelled the score. However, neither team managed to take a hold of the game during the opening quarter as they matched each other point for point. At the end of the period Bradford just had the edge, albeit by only a single point, with the scores at 18-19.

The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with both teams holding their own. But, with just over half of the quarter played, Fetske collided with Manchester’s Simon Anumba, causing the referees to call an officials timeout to allow Bradford’s big man to receive medical attention. The American left the court, suffering with concussion, and played no further part in the game.

Bradford Dragons Tame the Leopards!

8/3/2017

Bradford Dragons hosted Essex Leopards in the Dragons’ Den on Saturday evening and picked up another two points in their quest to secure a berth in the end of season playoffs. Bradford took the victory by 85 points to 78.

Only two seasons ago, the Leopards had taken the National Basketball League Division One title. However, this time around the Leopards are one of five teams currently embroiled in a relegation battle.

The first points of the game went to Essex, who hit a three pointer with the first shot of the game. Staight down the other end and Bradford’s American power forward, Ricky Fetske, immediately matched it with a three of his own. Essex immediately replied with a two-point jump shot, but again Fetske levelled instantly with a lay-up.

Bradford Dragons impress with road win in Loughborough.

27/2/2017

With no game on Saturday, the Dragons travelled to Loughborough Student Riders on Sunday afternoon, returning home with the points in the bag, following an impressive 86-99 victory.

Prior to the weekends fixtures, Loughborough sat in fifth position in the league table, two places above the Dragons. However, the Riders had a tough weekend agenda, with a fixture against league leaders Team Northumbria on Saturday afternoon, which the North Easterners won 68-75, just twenty-four hours prior to the visit of Bradford.

The hosts took the first two points of the game, which was immediately cancelled out by layup from Ricky Fetske, who was fouled in the process and added the extra point to give Bradford an early lead. However, Loughborough hit straight back again and pushed themselves into a four-point lead at 7-3, with three and a half minutes of the game played.

That was as good as it got for the Riders as Rihards Sulcs netted a two-pointer, quickly followed by a three from Eisley Swaine to give Bradford back the lead, which was quickly extended out to 7-14, following an uninterrupted eleven-point run by the Dragons. The visitors maintained the pressure and, at the end of the opening quarter, they held a nine-point advantage (17-26).

Brave Bradford Dragons undone by Table Topping Team Northumbria.

21/2/2017

Bradford Dragons hosted the current league leaders, Team Northumbria, in the Dragons Den on Saturday evening, eager to cause an upset. However, the game went true to form, with the visitors taking the victory, 73-79, subjecting Bradford to their third defeat on the bounce.

It was the fourth meeting between the teams this season, with them having met in both the National Trophy Pool stages and in the National Cup quarter finals. Team Northumbria had got the better of the Dragons in each of the previous meetings and the Bradford side were keen to set records straight.

Ricky Fetske won the jump ball, however his tip went straight to Northumbria’s Jack Preston who was quickly up the court. However, Fetske was quicker still and was on hand to block Preston’s shot, sending Bradford up to the other end. On Bradford’s first offensive play, Rihards Sulcs was fouled in the act of shooting and he made no mistake with the resulting free throws to give Bradford the first points of the game.

The two sides traded baskets throughout the opening period of the game, but when the visiting coach, Marc Steutel, called the first timeout of the fixture, with just under four minutes of the first quarter remaining, the Dragons were in possession of a five-point lead, 18-13.

Disappointing Dragons undone by Rockets.

15/2/2017

Bradford Dragons made another long away trip, this time to Reading Rockets, on Sunday, but were despatched back to Yorkshire on the back of their biggest defeat of the season, 108-85.

The Dragons were the last team to beat Reading (102-96) when the two sides met in the Dragons Den earlier in the season. Since then, the Rockets had moved on to win their next twelve games on the bounce and Bradford were hoping to make it unlucky thirteen.

Former BBL player, Semi Oboigbe lined up in the Dragons starting five, having rejoined the club just before the prior weekends fixtures. However, following a series of missed shots and turnovers, from both sides, it was Readings Danny Carter that opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Then, whilst Rafi Saipe missed an opportunity to level the score for Bradford, Carter added a further two points to give the hosts an early five-point advantage.

It didn’t get any better for the Dragons, who found themselves 11 points down (13-2) with less than four minutes played.

Bradford eventually got themselves going, coinciding with the arrival on court of their long-serving Latvian, Rihards Sulcs. With the balance of play switched in the visitors’ favour, the gap was slowly closed, and with two minutes of the opening quarter remaining the gap had been brought back to just two points (15-13).

Dragons steal Worthing’s thunder but get hit by lightning on the Solent.

7/2/2017

Bradford Dragons faced a double header weekend on the south coast of England with fixtures against Worthing Thunder on Saturday and Team Solent Kestrels the following day. The Dragons took the points at Worthing, in a thrilling 78-88 victory, however their celebrations were halted following a dramatic final quarter turnover at playoff rivals Team Solent Kestrels (TSK), 83-74.

Having made the two-hundred-and-seventy-mile journey to West Sussex on Saturday, Bradford visited the Worthing Leisure Centre full of confidence having won the opposite fixture 104-86 back in October. The Dragons’ roster was also boosted by the return of Nigerian born forward, Semi Oboigbe, who, despite leaving the club before the league season started, had never had his registration cancelled, allowing him to hook back up with the club a few days after the player registration deadline.

Worthing’s Lionel Gaines beat Ricky Fetske in the tip-off, but it was Bradford who opened the scoring, through a Rafi Saipe three pointer. However, home advantage quickly took over as Jack Sunderland sank a couple of two pointers to give Worthing the lead. The hosts could not pull away, however, and, in the sixth minute of the game, Bradford’s Rihards Sulcs regained the advantage for Bradford, which they pulled out to eight points with ninety seconds of the quarter remaining, before Worthing put in a shift of their own to pull back to within three (20-23).

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