BRADFORD Dragons slumped to double defeats for the second successive weekend.

Having lost at home to Team Northumbria in the National Trophy and at Manchester Magic in the National Cup, the Dragons were beaten by newly-promoted Lancashire Spinners and again went down at Manchester Magic, both in the Trophy.

The Spinners edged a thriller 101-98, while Magic triumphed 85-70 – which was a similar margin to their 98-81 cup success.

The match against the Spinners pitched together two British legends of the sport in Lancashire's 37-year-old 'Big Mike' Bernard and the Dragons' Jason Swaine, who is 40.

The Spinners had won all four of their previous Trophy ties but were trailing 26-23 at the end of the first quarter and 49-47 at half-time.

But the Bury side took charge in the third quarter, winning it 35-21 to lead 82-70, and that margin was stretched to 16 points in the last period.

It looked like game over but the Dragons sprang to life in the last five minutes, closing down the Spinners' offence while going on a scoring spree of their own.

Amazingly, the scores were tied at 95-95 with a minute left but Lancashire dug deep to take a three-point lead and make it five wins out of five.

Henri Bongoma led the Dragons scoring with 24 points, with Nick Moore – who also took a staggering 20 rebounds – close behind on 22.

Swaine won the battle of the old-timers, completing 37 minutes and scoring 16 points, while Bernard played for only seven minutes, bagging two points.

The Dragons then returned to the Amaechi Basketball Centre in Manchester but the previous evening's efforts had clearly taken their toll on Swaine.

He joined Adria Rodriguez Vinas, Rihards Sulcs and Przemyslaw Wojcik on Bradford's injury list, giving his 16-year-old son Eisley Swaine the opportunity to step into the starting five.

The sides traded baskets for five minutes, with both Bongoma and Rafi Saipe sinking three-pointers for Bradford. But Manchester led 32-19 by the end of the opening quarter and although that lead stretched to 22, the visitors went into the locker room only trailing 50-36.

However, Magic dominance was resumed in the third quarter and they were 71-51 ahead going into the final quarter, where junior Calum O'Dowd was blooded for Bradford as Swaine was in danger of fouling out.

The rookie did everything that was asked of him as the Dragons pulled to within nine points but Magic were too powerful in the end.

Bongoma again led the Dragons' scoring with 24 points, sinking eight of his ten three-point attempts over the weekend, with Moore adding 19 points and Saipe 13.

Dragons head coach Chris Mellor reflected: "It's two losses over the weekend but once again there are many positives. But rebounding cost us dearly and that's the main area for us to improve upon."

Despite the losses, the Dragons are still in contention for a place in the quarter-finals as they are fourth in the Northern Pool table.

But they must now win their final group game against Derby Trailblazers at the Dragons' Den on Saturday (6.15pm).

The Dragons under-16s beat Leicester Warriors 81-55 at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise Centre in a Saturday lunchtime tip-off.