It’s easy for Derby as they complete double over Hoods
DERBY Trailblazers doubled the previous weekend’s winning margin as they romped to a rapid NBL Division One double over Nottingham Hoods, thrashing them 96-56 away from home.
Jacob Conway led the scoring with 25 points, Malcolm Smith added 19 and Josh Guddemi returned following illness to post 15 points against his home city side.
Point guard Rema Lascelles was finally able to make his debut for a third spell with the club and they also dominated the boards, captain Oli Stanley having 13 rebounds and Guddemi nine.
“I thought we played really well,” said Trailblazers coach Matt Shaw.
“As a group, it was probably our best performance of the season. We made life really difficult for Nottingham and we executed pretty well offensively.
“It was great to see Rema back on the court at last. I thought he did a really nice job of getting everyone involved and he fitted in really nicely alongside our more established players.”
Derby began by going out to a 10-4 advantage and when Lascelles entered the fray halfway through the first quarter, nine unanswered points followed.
The early advantage peaked at 32-14 two minutes into the second quarter, before a string of turnovers allowed Victor Olarerin to net six straight points for Nottingham.
But Conway reached 17 inside the first 15 minutes as Derby went to half-time 49-32 in front.
When the Blazers then opened the third quarter with 10 unanswered points in a 19-4 run, the outcome was assured.
Another 7-0 burst followed and the quarter had gone 26-9 to Derby to leave them 75-4.
By then Shaw was happily rotating his academy players with one or two senior heads on court and they refused to let Nottingham trim the deficit despite their relative inexperience.
Jake Chilver, back in the first team after a lengthy injury, Dominic Prospere and Killian Bousfield, with a high, arching three-pointer, all got themselves on the scoresheet and Jack Halstead caught the eye running the point.
It all added up to a fine team performance as attention turned back to the L Lynch Trophy – the Blazers were scheduled to play their final group game, against Myerscough College, last night with a place in the quarter-finals at home to Worthing Thunder at stake. NOTTINGHAM: Olarerin 25, Powell 9, WardHibbert 6, Patrick 4, Hundai 3, Adebambo 3, Babalola 2, Bieeu 2, Adjei 1, Juffer 1, Davey 0, Fagbenle 0.
DERBY: Conway 25, Smith 19, Guddemi 15, Stanley 8, Bowman 7, Oberia 7, Chilver 4, Prospere 4, Bousfield 3, Ugo 3, Lascelles 1, Halstead 0.