
For Saturday’s opponents, Loughborough, this is their first season in the top flight of the National Basketball League. However, despite their inexperience at this level of the game, they started the game from third place in the table, two places and two points ahead of their hosts.
Bradford, having lost their last three games, two of which were against the current league leaders, Team Northumbria, were in no doubt, before the game that this was going to be another stern test of their playoff credentials.
The Dragons opened the scoring and quickly opened up a five-point lead (9-4), before the Riders showed why they are where they are, not only levelling the scores (9-9) but going on to open up a nine-point lead of their own (13-22).
But that was as good as it got for the visitors, and by the time that the first quarter drew to a close, it was the Dragons that held another five-point advantage (29-24).