Double test for the Trailblazers
DERBY Trailblazers will be both the away side and the home side in two NBL Division One matches at the same venue this weekend.
They are to take on Bradford Dragons this afternoon (2pm) and Team Newcastle University tomorrow (5.30pm). Both will be at the Nottingham Wildcats Arena, which has been the temporary base of both the Blazers and
Bradford during the pandemic.
Bradford will be the ‘home’ team for today’s game and Derby for the second.
When Derby and Bradford met in the group stage of the L Lynch Trophy in November, the Blazers ground out a slender 84-81 win.
The Dragons have had a tough season, losing a number of matches by single digits, including a 101-95 overtime defeat to Leicester Warriors last weekend. This is the first league meeting of the sides this season but Blazers head coach Matt Shaw says he knows what to expect from their opponents.
“We have a good idea of what they’re all about. They have a number of players who’ve been with them for a good few years, but they’ve also got a fair few new guys this season,” he said.
“Great Osabor has come into the team since we last played them and he’s really doing well for them, averaging 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, so we know we’re going to have to try to slow him down.”
Derby and Newcastle met on Tyneside in the league and L Lynch Trophy on consecutive days in November, with the home side winning the league match 83-73, before the Trailblazers gained revenge in the Trophy, 110-81.
Newcastle’s 10-4 league record places them fifth, just ahead of Derby, who are 9-3.
“Newcastle are having a great season. They’re a young team, they’re very energetic and they play a good brand of basketball which is really difficult to defend against,” said Shaw.
“One thing we know about them is they never go away. They’ve had a lot of games where they’ve come from behind to win, so they have a lot of toughness and resilience.
“I think it will be a really difficult game, but for us it’s important to continue playing the way we’ve been doing for the last couple of weeks.”