Bradford Dragons
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Mission Statement
    • Club Honours
    • Dragons Personnel
    • Policies
    • Vacancies
  • News
    • News
    • Dragons in the News
  • Senior Men
    • Dragons 1 Fixtures 2021
    • League Standings
    • Roster 2021
    • Dragons Gallery 2021
    • Match Days Programmes 2021
  • Academy
    • Academy Information
    • Academy Fixtures 2021
    • Academy Roster 2021
    • Academy Gallery
  • Juniors
    • Under 18s >
      • Under 18s Information
      • Under 18 Fixtures
      • Under 18s League Table
    • Under 16s >
      • Under 16s Information
      • Under 16 Fixtures
      • Under 16s League Table
    • Under 14s >
      • Under 14s Information
      • Under 14 Fixtures
      • Under 14s League Table
    • Under 12s/Beginners
  • Dragons 3
    • Dragons 3 Fixtures 2021
    • Information
  • Schools
    • Information
    • Sponsored Events
  • Shop
  • Tickets
  • Support Us
  • Contact

Dragons weather the Storm but fall in Derby.

10/3/2022

 
​Bradford Dragons faced another double header weekend, against two sides that are fighting for a home berth in the end of season playoffs. Having trailed for the majority of the game, the Dragons clawed back from a massive seventeen point deficit to clinch a spectacular 87-79 victory against Hemel Storm, in the Dragons’ Den on Saturday evening. Then, in a complete turn of events, Bradford led for the most part of Sunday’s high scoring fixture at Derby Trailblazers, but a late surge from the hosts saw them take the win, 106-99.

Saturday’s game was the reverse of the previous weekends fixture in Hemel Hempstead, in which a vastly depleted six man Dragons’ side were on the wrong end of a nineteen point difference between the two sides (91-72). This time around, Bradford did add an extra body to their bench, but were without their two three-point shooters, Dave Walsh and Steve Towell.

Ricky Fetske won the ball from the tip, but Micah Savery-Richards failed to make his lay-up count, giving Hemel the opportunity to open the scoring, through a Sam Newman jump shot. It was a lead that the Storm were able to keep throughout the first quarter, which ended at 14-18 in the visitors favour.

Within two minutes if the second period, the Dragons had pulled back to within a single point (20-21) forcing Dru Spinks, Hemel’s head coach, to call a timeout and it wasn’t long before his side had moved back out to an eight point lead and it was now Chris Mellor’s turn to call for time.   

From the restart, Zach Gachette saw his three point attempt bounce off the rim, but Jabari Edwards rose above everyone to take the rebound and momentum carried him to the basket where he sank a  two. Savery-Richards then reduced the gap to four points and followed it up with another two, whilst taking a foul to send him to the line. With the free throw converted the deficit was now down   to a single point. On their next offensive, Rihards Śulcs saw his lay-up bounce off the rim, but this time Gachette was on hand for the rebound and swiftly converted to give the Dragons their first lead of the game (34-33) with just two minutes of the second quarter remaining.

Read More

Dragons stop the Rebellion and tame the Lions.

8/2/2022

 
Picture
Picture
​The Bradford Dragons got back to winning ways at the weekend, winning both games in a home double header. The Dragons beat Essex Rebels 80-78 on Saturday evening at Calderdale College’s Inspire Centre, and then followed up with a 100-80 victory against BA London Lions on Sunday afternoon.

In the reverse fixture against the Rebels, back in November, the Dragons had controlled the game and built up a big lead, but in the final quarter Essex had hit back strong and came within three points of the Dragons total (85-88).

Having failed to win a game during the first half of the season, Essex’s form has improved dramatically since Christmas, taking two victories in their last three games, lifting them off the foot of the table.

With a newly found confidence the Rebels started Saturday’s game strongly, quickly racking up a five point lead. Zach Gachette then dropped the first basket for the home side as well as the next three and with just under four minutes played Bradford had their first lead of the game (8-7).

Rihards Śulcs increased the lead to three, but then successive baskets for the Rebels swung the game back in their favour. However, as the quarter progressed the Dragons slowly started to take control of the game and when the buzzer went for the end of the period, the home side held an eight point advantage (19-11).

Read More

Dragons lose out in battle against TVC

26/1/2022

 
Picture
​Bradford Dragons entertained the Thames Valley Cavaliers, at Calderdale College’s Inspire Centre, on Saturday evening, but went down to a devastating 80-91 loss, despite a brave fight in front of their largest crowd of the season.

The Cavaliers went into the weekend with an 8-3 record and sitting fifth in the NBL division one table. The Dragons sat 4 places below them, with five wins from their opening eleven fixtures.
The game got off to a false start, as both Ricky Fetske and Hakeem Sylla, both 6’8”, failed to reach the ball at the tip-off. The referee called the ball back for a second attempt, but once again neither player made clean contact, although the slightest of touches by Fetske was sufficient to call the ball live.

​However, it was Sylla that downed the first bucket of the evening, with a two point layup. Fetske having missed with his first two attempts but levelled the score at 2-2 with a layup of his own.

Bradford seized the early momentum and a Jabari Edwards trey, followed by twos from Micah Savery-Richards and Zach Gachette saw them take a five point lead within the opening three minutes of the game (9-4).

Ninety seconds later the game was once again tied, before Jermayne Laing and Savery-Richards saw the Dragons surge ahead once more (13-9).

But neither team could gain a significant advantage in the opening quarter and the lead swung both ways. In the final minute of the period Jakobi Bonner put the visitors up by four, but a dunk from Gachette narrowed it to two (21-23) before the first scheduled stoppage.

Read More

Dragons can’t overcome League Leaders Thunder.

20/1/2022

 
Picture
They say that lightening never strikes the same place twice, but the Bradford Dragons found out, to their cost that the same can not be applied to the light shows accomplice, Thunder, when they travelled to the South coast last weekend to face the current NBL league leaders, Worthing Thunder.

​Despite putting up a good fight, the Dragons succumbed to a second defeat of the season against the table toppers, 89-72.
​When the teams met in October, a finely balanced game went almost to the wire, with Worthing finally taking the spoils by just four points, 58-62. 
​Since then, the Thunder have rolled on to take a total thirteen wins from fifteen games this season, and currently sit top of the pile, albeit by just two points, with second placed Team Solent Kestrels holding a game in hand.
​In contrast, Bradford’s season has been a more mixed affair, losing their opening four fixtures (including the loss to Worthing) but then winning four of their next five games. They currently sit ninth in the table, with a 5-6 record, their five wins to date coming against each of the five teams currently below them in the league table.

Read More

Dragons off to a winning start in new home.

15/12/2021

 
Bradford Dragons got off to a winning start in their new home at Calderdale College’s Inspire Centre, beating Reading Rockets by a narrow three point margin, 93-90, on Sunday afternoon.

The Dragons opening weekend extravaganza had been disrupted by the postponement of Saturday's fixture against London Lions II, due to a minor Covid outbreak amongst the students at the Barking Academy, home of the Lions.

Despite a poor start to the season, the Dragons have been boosted recently by a run of four successive victories, broken only last week by defeat at current league leaders Solent Kestrels, In which a strong Dragons performance pushed the Kestrels all the way.

The Rockets, who are one of the longest established clubs in the English game and regular challengers at the business end of the season had also experienced a mixed start to the current campaign, sitting just two points above their Yorkshire hosts in the league table.

Still smarting from their L Lynch Trophy semi-final defeat, against Newcastle the previous evening, Reading were in mean mood when they arrived in West Yorkshire, taking a quick lead through Lewis Champion. Meshack Lufile then added a single from the line before American Power Forward, Ricky Fetske put the first points on the board for the Dragons.

Read More

Never say die, as Dragons take comeback win!

1/12/2021

 
Picture
​​Bradford Dragons headed down the M1 to Loughborough University on Saturday, where they faced off against Loughborough Riders in the National Basketball League first division. Having trailed from the off, the Dragons left it late, but bounced back to take a fourth successive league victory (74-80).

The Dragons still have Andreas Lycoudis and Rihards Sulcs side-lined through injury, whilst Stephen Towell also missed the game through sickness. However, the Bradford side were boosted by the inclusion of another new signing, 6’4” Guard, Micah Savery-Richards.
Prior to the game, both sides were on three wins for the season, although the Riders had played a couple of games more than their Yorkshire opponents. Never-the-less, both sides saw this fixture as an opportunity to gain league advantage over the other.

For the Dragons’ the game couldn’t have got off to a worse start, with their hosts taking a 10-0 lead within the first couple of minutes play. Ricky Fetske stemmed the flow temporarily, with a successful two point hook shot.

But, Loughborough were hungry for the win and with six minutes played, their lead was up to sixteen points (19-3). Fouled in the act of shooting, Jermayne Laing sank his two shots from the line and then followed up with a two point layup, which triggered a mini revival by the Dragons, and at the end of the first quarter the deficit was a more respectable nine points  (24-15). In fact, it could have been even lower had Zach Gachette made his last second lay-up count.

Read More

Dragons leave it late in Saturday night thriller

24/11/2021

 
Picture
Picture
​​Bradford Dragons edged out a resilient Leicester Warriors in the Dragons’ Den on Saturday night (82-76), in a game that kept supporters on the edge of their seats right to the end.

Having won their last two league fixtures, the Dragons went into this game in confident mood, against a Leicester Warriors side that had taken just a single win from their opening eight fixtures.

But Leicester also saw the game against Bradford, who themselves have had a slow start to their season, as an opportunity to notch up a second victory and it was them who got the game off to a flying start with a quick two points inside the opening six seconds of play.

David Walsh put the Dragons ahead with a three from beyond the arc, but Leicester’s Delaney Powell responded with a three of his own to put the visitors ahead once again (3-5).

Read More

Mixed Weekend for Dragons

17/11/2021

 
Picture
Picture
​Bradford Dragons hosted a double header weekend in the Dragons’ Den [Bradford College Sports Hall], entertaining Oaklands Wolves in the National Basketball League Division One on Saturday evening, followed by a National Cup fourth round fixture against Derby Trailblazers on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, both teams went into the game with just one win, albeit the Dragons having played one game less than the Wolves, and both would have seen this game as an opportunity to make further strides up the table.

Bradford's resident American, Ricky Fetske, put the first points on the board only to see them immediately neutralised by Kane Daley for the Wolves. Fetske immediately picked up another two, only to see Daley cancel them out yet again on the next offensive. However, the Dragons then went on a nine point unanswered haul, with a string of layups from Zach Gachette [times 2], Dave Walsh and Jermayne Laing, plus a Jabari Edwards single from the penalty line.

Read More

Dragons pick up their first league win

13/11/2021

 
Picture
​Bradford Dragons picked up their first league win of the season with a three points victory [85-88] against the Essex Rebels on Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels, currently sitting bottom of the table, had a 0- 5 record going into Saturday afternoon's fixture. Also winless, the Dragons, had failed to win in their first four games of the campaign, having played one game less than their hosts, due to last weekends postponement against the Nottingham Hoods. Whatever the result that would be at least one less team without a win by the end of the afternoon.
​There was also a new face on the Dragons roster, in the form of the experienced shooter, Steve Towell who most recently had been competing in NBL3 with the Calderdale Explorers.

The game started at frantic pace, with the ball going end to end but with neither team able to convert their opening offences. With a minute and a half played, Essex put the first points on the board with a tray from that captain, Tom child. The Dragons responded immediately through a two-point lay up by their American big, Ricky Fetske. Fouled whilst shooting, Fetski went to the line for an additional shot; however, he failed in his attempt to tie the game.

Read More

Dragons lose away but progress in the National Cup.

28/10/2021

 
Picture
Picture
Bradford Dragons experienced mixed fortunes at the weekend with a loss at Thames Valley Cavaliers (101-61) in the league on Saturday evening, but bounced back to beat Manchester Magic (91-80) in the third round of the National Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The Dragons travelled to Uxbridge College on Saturday without a win, so far, in the National Basketball League, whilst Thames Valley had also struggled to find their form from the previous two seasons with just win from their opening three matches.

Bradford got off to the worst possible start, shipping the first eight points of the game in the first couple of minutes of play. Clayfell Harris temporarily put a stop to the Thames Valley dominance, scoring a two-point layup, but that was followed by another eight points unanswered for the host team.

Struggling to find their rhythm, the Dragons shipped a massive 35 points in the opening quarter and only managed a meagre ten of their own.

Read More
<<Previous
    Picture
    Picture
    Tweets by @bballengland

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Registered Address:  
Bradford Dragons Basketball Club, c/o Isaacs Solutions, Trust House, St James Business Park, 5 New Augustus Street, BRADFORD, BD1 5LL
The name Bradford Dragons and the Bradford Dragons logo is the exclusive property of Bradford Dragons Basketball Club Ltd.
​All Rights Reserved. © 2017. All other names and logos remain the property of their respective owners.