BRADFORD Dragons tailed off in the closing stages to suffer another defeat, this time by 95-90 at the hands of visitors Tees Valley Mohawks.

It has been a turbulent time for the Dragons in recent weeks, culminating in the loss of Chris McGrew – who has flown home to America – and Nathan Ashley, who has taken up the option to return to London with Westminster Warriors.

Yet Bradford remained keen to get their English Basketball League season back on track following their National Trophy semi-final defeat.

In their first home game for almost a month, it was the Dragons who started the more lively side and they took the first quarter 25-22, with the second period following almost the same script as Bradford moved 44-39 ahead.

Neither team really managed to stamp their authority in a closely fought third quarter, which saw the visitors reduce the hosts' lead to 67-63, and the game was set up for a tense final section.

With five minutes left, the Mohawks had not been able to close Bradford down any further and trailed 79-75.

But as so often has been the case, the Dragons let the lead slip when it mattered most, allowing their guests to add a further 20 points.

It was Bradford's fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions, which leaves them sitting two places and four points below the end-of-season Division One play-off berths.

Top scorer for the Dragons was JP Davis with 29 points, followed by Rihards Sulcs (18), Miguel Lorenzo (16) and Jermayne Laing (14).

Bradford head coach Chris Mellor said: "We were ahead most of the game but never really put them away.

"Even though we were scoring regularly, Samuels, Nelson and Rhodes kept coming up with answers at the other end.

"We traded baskets for much of the game but again our defence wasn't good enough when it mattered."

Bradford travel to Hemel Storm this coming Saturday before returning to the Dragons' Den for a home double-header weekend against Westminster Warriors on Saturday, February 28 and Essex Leopards the next day.

In other results, the Dragons' under-14s won 106-12 at Leeds Force II, while the under-18s triumphed 89-70 at Gateshead Phoenix.