BRADFORD Dragons experienced mixed fortunes last weekend with a loss at Thames Valley Cavaliers (101-61) in the league on Saturday evening, but bounced back to beat Manchester Magic (91-80) in the third round of the National Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The Dragons travelled to Uxbridge College on Saturday without a win, so far, in Division One of the National Basketball League, while Thames Valley only had one victory from their opening three matches.

Bradford got off to the worst possible start, shipping a massive 35 points in the opening quarter and only managing a meagre 10 of their own.

The second period was much a more even affair. Matt Armstrong opened the scoring with a three for Bradford, and there was an eight-point streak for the visitors at one point, but they still trailed 57-34 at half-time.

But that was about as good as things got for the visitors, with Thames Valley extending their lead to 34 points in the third quarter (78-44) and then streaking further clear in the final 10 minutes to win 101-61.

Top scorer for the Dragons was Dave Walsh with 19 points.

Sunday’s fixture couldn’t come soon enough for the Dragons, as they took on Second Division leaders Magic.

The Dragons were pushed hard by their lower-division opponents, and only led by six points (45-39) at half-time.

That gap closed to four points at the end of the third quarter, but some late errors from Manchester allowed Bradford to progress with a 91-80 victory.

Ricky Fetske, watched by his visiting parents from the USA, contributed the game high score with a massive 30 point haul.

The Dragons will face either Myerscough Basketball or Derby Trailblazers in the next round.

Bradford were due to be back in the Dragons’ Den today to face the Nottingham Hoods. However, due to issues with the venue, this game has had to be postponed.

In more exciting news, the Dragons have announced that they will be furthering their partnership with Calderdale College, where the club currently runs the Bradford Dragons Basketball Academy.

From December, all Dragons home fixtures will move to the Inspire Centre at the college, starting with a double header on December 11 and 12 against London Lions II and Reading Rockets.

Further details, including special offers for a full weekend ticket, will be released shortly.

Craig Waterworth, the Inspire Centre general manager, said: “We are extremely excited to be hosting the Bradford Dragons’ Division One games here at the Inspire Centre, Calderdale College.

“We see this as a fantastic opportunity to continue our developments with the Dragons.

“Our basketball academy is going from strength to strength and we see this as a natural progression together to have it all under one roof.

“We want the families of Calderdale to come and see how great the standard of basketball is in Division One and have a superb evening of entertainment for a minimal cost.”