​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.

​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).

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.

​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.

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.

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.

​​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).

​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.

​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.