Bradford Dragons 84 Manchester Magic 91

BRADFORD Dragons suffered their 11th consecutive loss against Manchester Magic, and were overtaken in this season's National Basketball League Division One by their Lancashire rivals as a result.

Magic have struggled this season by their high standards, with eight defeats against their name already, and Bradford would have felt this game was a good opportunity to overcome their old rivals.

New signing Disraeli Lufadeju made his first start for the Dragons while American power forward Ricky Fetske was dropped to the bench, with coach Chris Mellor hoping that these brave calls would bear fruit.

In an even first quarter, neither side could gain a clear advantage. They traded baskets throughout the half, and it was the Dragons who inched ahead 16-15 after the first ten minutes.

Bradford made a poor start to the second period. Jermayne Lang missed a free throw attempt and Magic ruthlessly capitalised. Ryan Lewis netted a three-pointer before Hamad Ali added another four unanswered points.

Bradford clawed their way back into the contest quickly though, with Fetske coming off the sidelines to prove his point. He added five points to leave the score at 25-25.

However, a disastrous spell towards the end of the quarter left the Dragons with a mountain to climb. They fell ten points behind, before a late three-pointer by Marcus Gooding brought them to within seven, 44-37 down.

The third quarter started well for Bradford, with Rihards Sulcs and Fetske both netting, but Manchester were then able to extend their lead to 51-43 four minutes in.

A gargantuan effort turned the game on its head though. The last six minutes of the quarter saw the Dragons outscore Magic by ten points, leaving the score at 61-59 to the home side.

However, led by Donte Gittens, Manchester showed their class with a dominant final quarter. Although Eisley Swaine and Fetske continued to score for the Dragons, their defence fell apart as Magic bagged 32 points in the final ten minutes.

Mellor showed his frustration at the end, lamenting: "It was a disappointing loss and defensively giving up 91 points is way too many."

Bradford face a double header this weekend, travelling up to Tyneside today to face Team Newcastle University Knights, before a 4.15pm tip off tomorrow against Hemel Storm back at Dragons Den.

A couple of wins could put Bradford in playoff contention, but two reverses could see them slip into a relegation battle. This weekend could shape their season.