Winning preparations for derby
3:34pm Tuesday 26th February 2008
Bradford Maroons made it five wins in a row in English Basketball Division Three North with a 106-67 home victory against Liverpool.
This is the second game in succession that the Maroons have reached three figures as they finish a trot against the league's weaker teams.
Bradford Dragons completed an 83-49 win over a youthful Manchester Magic-2 to remain third in the division and on course for their first play-off appearance.
Dragons bossed the first quarter, taking it 27-14, and, with their defence dominating, they took the second quarter 22-13 to lead 49-27 at half-time.
With the offence slowing as coach Chris Mellor ran the bench, Dragons maintained their trademark tight team defence to comfortably take the last two quarters 18-12 and 16-10 to run out justified 83-49 winners.
For Dragons, team captain Istvan PD' Dohar led the way with 24 points, Daumants Pabrieza getting 15 and Aaron Kay 11.
After the game, Mellor said: "The whole team played well. The first quarter set the tone for the game and we dominated throughout."
Dragons chairman Stuart Culliford said: "We are in good shape going into the end-of-season run.
"We have a big double-header weekend coming up with our local rivals Bradford Maroons on Saturday at home and Durham Wildcats away on Sunday.
"Anyone in West Yorkshire who likes basketball should be at the Bradford derby on Saturday to watch what is bound to be a passionate game which both teams want to win."
Elsewhere, a Dragons women's team, made up mainly of under-18 players, lost 57-24 at home to Kirklees.
Dragons'-2 senior men were trounced 101-63 at Deighton Demons, Dragons' under-18s lost 87-59 to Tees Valley Mohawks, but the under-16s hammered North Shields 105-56 away in their English Basketball League Conference game, and Dragons' under-18 girls decisively beat local rivals Huddersfield 49-27 in a friendly.
University of Bradford won in the quarter-finals of the British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) Shield against Stirling 93-73.
They will now play De Montfort University, Leicester at the University of Bradford Sports Centre tomorrow night (8.00).