WITH the closure of the transfer window looming, Bradford Dragons have signed British-American Disraeli 'Dizzy' Lufadeju.

Bradford's head coach Chris Mellor said of the 6ft 1in former Leeds Force and Worcester Wolves guard: “Disraeli is a very good defensive player, who rebounds well.

"He’s also a good athlete who can create things off the dribble offensively.

“He fits in with what we are trying to do at the club and I’ve been impressed with his attitude, work ethic and character.”

Lufadeju is in line to make his debut on Saturday when National Basketball League First Division leaders Team Solent Kestrels visit the Dragons’ Den (6.15pm).]

And the Dragons should be in good heart after an 88-77 win at Leicester Warriors last Saturday that put breathing space between themselves and the bottom two.

Leicester took hold of the opening minutes and opened up a 9-2 lead but it became 13-11 to the Dragons after Rafi Saipe landed a three-pointer, followed by two-point efforts from Rihards Sulcs, Saipe and Ricky Fetske (2).

The game stayed close through the rest of the period, and at the buzzer it was 22-22.

The second period followed a similar pattern, with Warriors going seven up but being hauled back to 44-41 at the interval, chiefly via Sulcs but also from Marcus Gooding.

Sulcs and Eisley Swaine then helped Bradford level at 46-46 before both scored again to give them the lead.

With just over two and a half minutes of the third period remaining, the hosts regained the lead at 58-56, but then a three from Saipe quickly put the visitors back in charge.

The Warriors hit back with a three of their own but, in the final second of the penultimate period, Gooding struck another three-pointer to send the Dragons into the final ten minutes with a 62-61 advantage.

The visitors upped their intensity, both offensively and defensively, in the fourth period, and five points from Gooding at the start of the stanza, followed by two from Fetske and Jermayne Laing, put the Dragons ten points up at 71-61 within three minutes.

With four minutes remaining, that gap was down to just seven at 74-67, but then a two and a three in quick succession from the in-form Gooding prompted another Leicester time-out, with Bradford ahead 83-74 with less than two minutes on the clock.

With eight seconds remaining, Gooding downed another three to finish the game at 88-77.

Gooding recorded the game-high score of 24 points (six rebounds) while  both Fetske and Šulcs recorded double doubles with 20 points (14 rebounds) and 17 points (10 rebounds) respectively.

An honest Mellor said: "I wasn’t happy with our first-half performance at all, but after the break we were tough defensively, rebounded well and showed good poise offensively to close the game out against a dangerous Leicester side.”

Dragons’ under-16s  lost out 76-74 in an exciting, fast-paced game against York Young Eagles at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College.

However, coach Pawel Bohdziewicz was pleased with his team's performance, saying that they “played for the under sixteens were Great Osobor (26 points), Olufemi Bright (22) and A Kildisas (18).