 | Bradford Dragons faced their second double header weekend of the season, facing two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum, and once again came away unscathed, leaving their unbeaten record intact. On Saturday, the Bradford side travelled to last seasons Division One league title winners, Loughborough Student Riders, returning home with an 82-88 overtime win, and on Sunday they welcomed third division Barking Abbey into the Dragons’ Den in the National Cup third round and ensuring their progression with a convincing 104-52 victory. |
Loughborough were one of two teams to produce an impressive 20-4 league win record during the previous campaign, taking the title due to their superior points scored, over second placed Team Solent Kestrels and the midlands club are again one of the favourites for silverware this time around.
Both sides had won their opening fixtures of the season, Loughborough defeating Team Newcastle University, 66-72, on Tyneside. Whilst Bradford had taken the plaudits in a home win, 103-91, against newly promoted Nottingham Hoods. Despite remaining unbeaten in all competitions, so far this season, the Dragons knew that this was set to be their toughest test to date.
It was Bradford who started the game strongest and when Rihards Šulcs was adjudged to have been fouled in the act of shooting, he went to the line to open the scoring, sinking one from two. Ricky Fetske then hit a long distance three, followed it up with a two-point lay-up and then Andreas Lycoudis joined the party with a three, to give the Dragons an early 0-9 lead.
Both sides had won their opening fixtures of the season, Loughborough defeating Team Newcastle University, 66-72, on Tyneside. Whilst Bradford had taken the plaudits in a home win, 103-91, against newly promoted Nottingham Hoods. Despite remaining unbeaten in all competitions, so far this season, the Dragons knew that this was set to be their toughest test to date.
It was Bradford who started the game strongest and when Rihards Šulcs was adjudged to have been fouled in the act of shooting, he went to the line to open the scoring, sinking one from two. Ricky Fetske then hit a long distance three, followed it up with a two-point lay-up and then Andreas Lycoudis joined the party with a three, to give the Dragons an early 0-9 lead.
The Dragons maintained the lead throughout the opening quarter, although their hosts worked hard to reduce the deficit to just three points at the first buzzer (14-17).
A disastrous second quarter then ensued for the Dragons, with missed shots and turnovers aplenty, whilst the opposition had found their swagger. Bradford’s advantage had disappeared in no time at all and there seemed to be nothing they could do to stop their hosts from racing into a thirteen-point lead. A driving layup from Lycoudis in the closing seconds of the half reduced the gap to just eleven points (42-31), but as the teams returned to the locker rooms, Coach Mellor badly needed to refocus his players.
Within twenty seconds of the restart, the Riders lead had been stretched to fifteen points and by the mid-point of the third period it was further extended to seventeen. A couple of threes by Drexler Clark, either side of a home layup, finally kicked the Dragons into action and slowly, but surely, they started to claw their way back into the mix. Another three from Lycoudis, just before the buzzer placed the Dragons just five behind, at 60-55.
A disastrous second quarter then ensued for the Dragons, with missed shots and turnovers aplenty, whilst the opposition had found their swagger. Bradford’s advantage had disappeared in no time at all and there seemed to be nothing they could do to stop their hosts from racing into a thirteen-point lead. A driving layup from Lycoudis in the closing seconds of the half reduced the gap to just eleven points (42-31), but as the teams returned to the locker rooms, Coach Mellor badly needed to refocus his players.
Within twenty seconds of the restart, the Riders lead had been stretched to fifteen points and by the mid-point of the third period it was further extended to seventeen. A couple of threes by Drexler Clark, either side of a home layup, finally kicked the Dragons into action and slowly, but surely, they started to claw their way back into the mix. Another three from Lycoudis, just before the buzzer placed the Dragons just five behind, at 60-55.
| Two and a half minutes into the final quarter and a foul sent Šulcs to the line for two shots. He sank his first, to tie the game and then the second to put the Dragons ahead. Lycoudis extended the lead to three (63-66) and it appeared that Bradford were now on the front foot. But, yet again, Loughborough struck back and with just four minutes on the clock they were up by nine (75-66) and the Dragons looked dead and buried. |  |
However, the experienced heads of Šulcs and Fetske combined to pull the deficit back to three and with just 36 seconds remaining, Joaquín Calvo unleashed a long-distance attempt, tying the game at 76 a-piece.
That was the last score of normal time and the game was sent into an extra five minutes of overtime. The wind had gone from Loughborough’s sails and there only ever looked to be one winner in that extra period. It was a statement win from the Dragons (88-82) who, at this early stage of the season, are sitting at the top of the table.
Šulcs topped the Dragons scorers with 19 points, adding 11 rebounds to record a double-double. Clark was next with 18 points, also contributing 6 assists, whilst Fetske also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
For the hosts, Giannis Panaretakis matched Šulcs with 19 points whilst Hosana Kitenge contributed 17 points.
The following day, the Dragons were in National Cup action against third division Barking Abbey.
In an unbalanced game, Bradford were ahead by thirteen at the end of the first quarter (28-15) a lead which was extended to twenty-three by the half (52-29).
Nothing changed in the second half and the Dragons were coasting at 76-40 by the end of the penultimate period. Yet, still they didn’t let-up, finishing the game with a 2:1 points ratio, and sealing their place in the next round with a 104-52 victory.
That was the last score of normal time and the game was sent into an extra five minutes of overtime. The wind had gone from Loughborough’s sails and there only ever looked to be one winner in that extra period. It was a statement win from the Dragons (88-82) who, at this early stage of the season, are sitting at the top of the table.
Šulcs topped the Dragons scorers with 19 points, adding 11 rebounds to record a double-double. Clark was next with 18 points, also contributing 6 assists, whilst Fetske also recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
For the hosts, Giannis Panaretakis matched Šulcs with 19 points whilst Hosana Kitenge contributed 17 points.
The following day, the Dragons were in National Cup action against third division Barking Abbey.
In an unbalanced game, Bradford were ahead by thirteen at the end of the first quarter (28-15) a lead which was extended to twenty-three by the half (52-29).
Nothing changed in the second half and the Dragons were coasting at 76-40 by the end of the penultimate period. Yet, still they didn’t let-up, finishing the game with a 2:1 points ratio, and sealing their place in the next round with a 104-52 victory.
  | The Dragons will now face the winners of the fixture between Greenwich Titans and Worthing Thunder. Šulcs once again lead the scoring, this time with 33 points and a second double-double of the weekend (12 rebounds). Clark and Calvo both contributed 17 points each to the total, with the latter also picking up the official University of Bradford Player of the Game award. Allie Fullah also registered a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Lycoudis and Matthew Armstrong completed the Bradford scoring with 11 points each. Following the weekends action, Mellor reflected by saying, “Against Loughborough, we started well but then got outplayed for twenty minutes and I was pretty happy to go in only down eleven at the half. “Things didn’t get much better in the third but we managed to hang around enough and dug ourselves out again late on to finally get the momentum when it mattered. |
“Against Barking, it was an easy win against a very young team, but its nice to get another two wins on the weekend.”
The Dragons are back in the Den this Saturday evening, 20th October, when Manchester Magic make their second visit of the season. Bradford came out on top, when the sides met in the National Trophy at the end of September and they will be keen to continue their excellent start to the season. Tip off in the Den is at 6:15pm.
The Under 14s were in action on Saturday afternoon, entertaining East Durham Lions at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College. The Dragons got off to a slow start and were nine down at the end of the first quarter, however they matched their opponents through the rest of the fixture and, despite a 61-67 loss, they can take great confidence from a much-improved performance.
Photographs © Alex Daniel Photography
The Under 14s were in action on Saturday afternoon, entertaining East Durham Lions at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College. The Dragons got off to a slow start and were nine down at the end of the first quarter, however they matched their opponents through the rest of the fixture and, despite a 61-67 loss, they can take great confidence from a much-improved performance.
Photographs © Alex Daniel Photography
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