Dragons 1 - Bradford Roar to Victory at Liverpool

Bradford Dragons visited Liverpool Basketball Club on Saturday, in a precursor to the new National Basketball League campaign and came away with a convincing victory, 56-78.

Liverpool finished third in division two last season, just missing out on the opportunity to join Bradford in the top flight. However, despite the gap in divisions, the Merseysiders would provide a stern test for Chris Mellor’s side, having already beaten first division Manchester Magic, the previous weekend.

The Dragons travelled with an eight-man squad for the preseason fixture against second division opposition, with new signing Clayfell Harris missing due to personal commitments and American Drexler Clark’s arrival in the UK imminent.
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The starting five showed just one change from the five that started the majority of last season, with newcomer Andreas Lycoudis stepping in, in place of the departed Eisley Swaine, who has taken his game to the United States. And it was the Dragons who took first blood through a basket from American power forward, Ricky Fetske. They quickly followed this us with a two from Latvian Rihards Šulcs, assisted by Lycoudis, to open an early four-point gap.

The hosts responded with Baskets of their own and in the early stages of the game the lead chopped and changed. Joaquín Calvo, who was making a return to the club where he enjoyed a successful 2015/16 season, sank a sweet three-pointer to put the Dragons up by one, 8-9, but then the game swung firmly in Liverpool’s favour and as the opening quarter ended, it was the home side in control at 19-13.

Bradford stepped up the tempo early in the second period, quickly levelling the scores at nineteen a piece, with home grown Jermayne Laing bucketing a brace of baskets, only for the ‘Pool to reply with a three-pointer of their own, to regain the advantage. 

The quarter remained close throughout, with neither team being able to take a firm grip on proceedings and, with the buzzer nearing for half-time, the hosts were ahead by two, 32-30.

But, in the dying moments of the half, Fetske took another basket to level the scores and then Lycoudis closed out with a three, taking the Dragons into the locker room with a slim advantage, 32-35.

Liverpool took the opening score of the second half, to pull the scores to within one, but Fetske swiftly responded with a three, and then Šulcs with a two. At the opposite end, another newcomer to the Dragons’ roster, big man Allie Fullah, came up with a fantastic block, setting Laing up to add to Bradford’s score.

With the gap at eleven points, the hosts sank another three-pointer and then added a single from the line. But, Lycoudis then stepped up with a couple of threes to stretch the Dragons lead out further. When the buzzer sounded for the end of the penultimate period, Bradford were firmly in control, with the scores at 40-61.

The momentum slowed in the final period and it took a Fetske trademark slam dunk to get the Dragons back into gear. Bradford’s third debutant, Matthew Armstrong, hit a three from outside the arc and as the game petered out it was he that put up the final score, with a single from the line (56-78).

Fetske led the Dragons’ scorers with 23 points, whilst Šulcs and Laing shared second spot with 16 each. Lycoudis also capped an impressive debut with 11 points.
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The action starts for real next weekend, with the Dragons facing a National Trophy double header. They travel to Newcastle University Knights on Saturday evening (tip-off 6pm) before their opening home fixture, at Bradford College Sports Hall, against Lancashire rivals Manchester Magic the following afternoon (tip-off 4:15pm). 

Advance tickets for the Manchester game are available via the club website.

​Photographs © Alex Daniel