Bradford Dragons lost 88-75 at home to Derby Trailblazers in their latest English Basketball League Division One game.

Derby came out firing from the start but Dragons got back into it to lead 13-11 at the first break.

With Derby’s Martyn Gayle getting a couple of triples to keep Derby in the game, Dragons edged the second quarter to lead 40-37 at half-time.

The Midlanders surged into a 60-53 advantage at the final break but Dragons closed the gap to three midway through the last stanza.

However, a crucial triple by Rishi Kakad, just inside the 24-second clock, kept Derby ahead and they pulled away in the final minutes as Dragons were unable to convert crucial shots.

Derby’s Troy Whittington dominated the boards at both ends on his way to a game-high 26-point haul and an incredible 12 baskets from 13 attempts.

After the game, Dragons coach Chris Mellor said: “We did a good job in the first half containing their main offensive threats but after the break Kakad, Gayle and Whittington got too many good looks at the basket and we had too many lapses. They are a good team and they made big shots when it mattered.”

For Dragons, Vance ‘Maximus’ Silcott top-scored with 18, Rihard Sulcs made 15 and Raimond Pabrieza scored 12.

Bobby Edmunds narrowly missed a triple double with nine points, nine rebounds and ten assists.

Elsewhere, Dragons-3 men lost their Leeds League Division One home game 79-43 to Easingwold Eagles, while Dragons under-16s lost their North East Conference game 84-43 to Oldham Titans.