BRADFORD Dragons missed out on the opportunity to reach their first National Trophy final after losing 84-80 to Leicester Warriors.

This semi-final defeat came hot on the heels of a third straight loss in National League Division One, by 88-78 at Team Northumbria, the previous evening.

The Dragons travelled to Leicester having beaten their hosts in all three previous meetings this season and knowing that one more victory against the Warriors would secure their first-ever appearance in a major final.

The visitors started with true Yorkshire grit and determination and, with the score at 26-15 going into the first break, it looked odds-on that the 100 per cent record would be maintained.

But Leicester turned things around in the second quarter and by the time the teams entered the locker rooms for the half-time interval, Bradford were on the wrong side of a two-point deficit at 43-41.

Leicester increased that advantage to 63-57 by the end of the third quarter and, despite Bradford taking the final quarter, it was not enough to earn a fourth victory against their hosts.

JP Davis top-scored for the Dragons with 17 points, Rihards Sulcs adding 16 and Jason Swaine 14.

Dragons head coach Chris Mellor admitted that his team were "just not good enough over the 40 minutes" and that they "were second best on the day".

The Warriors will now face Manchester Magic, who beat Derby Trailblazers 99-76 in the other last-four tie, in the final in Leeds on Saturday, February 21.

Meanwhile, Bradford had travelled up the A1 to Newcastle to face Team Northumbria for the third meeting between the sides this season, with them having taken one victory each previously.

Mellor's men led by three points at the end of the first quarter, increasing this to four by halfway. But the game was lost in the third period, when the Tynesiders opened up an eight-point cushion of their own. The Dragons could not recover the deficit and lost by ten points.

Davis took his regular position at the top of the Dragons scoring statistics with 25 points, while Sulcs bagged a further 13 and John Bantock netted 11.

Mellor said: "We played a good first half but, as the game progressed, their size hurt us near the basket – and having three starters fouling out didn't help our cause."

Elsewhere for the Dragons, the under-18s also suffered back-to-back defeats – 91-62 at home to QE York Knights and 105-74 at Leeds Force.

The under-16s were beaten 98-80 at Sheffield Junior Saints but the under-14s produced the one bright moment of an otherwise miserable weekend for the club, overwhelming York Eagles 114-28 at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College.