Rockets soar in third as Blazers’ hopes fizzle out
A POOR third quarter put an end to Derby Trailblazers’ chances of completing a NBL Division One double over Reading Rockets.
They were out-scored 34-14 in the period after taking a 39-37 lead into half-time and it was the inform Rockets who went on to avenge their defeat to Derby in the opening fixture of the season.
“It was another frustrating result for us but, credit to Reading, because I thought they played very well, especially the American pair AJ Carr and Trae Pemberton,” said Trailblazers head coach Matt Shaw.
“We didn’t do a great job on the glass, which was costly for us, as it resulted in them having too many second-chance points and we also struggled to get anything in transition, so we really had to work hard to get our scores.
“The result leaves us 7-7 and down to seventh in the league and it means we have a lot of work to do in the coming days and weeks to get ourselves back on track.”
Reading scored 19 points off fast breaks, compared to Derby’s nine. They won the battle on the boards 48-41 and netted 21 second-chance points to the Blazers’ 11.
Pemberton finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Carr added 26 and 11. Former Derby favourite Sydney Donaldson scored 10, adding seven rebounds, three steals and two assists.
For Derby, Malcolm Smith led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Tre Wilford bagged a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Jake Wesselingh converted four of seven threepointers on his way to 16 points.
But, aside from those three players, Derby had little to offer on offence. Starters Benson Arogbo, Kayne King and Oli Stanley combined for only 10 points.
From 18-18, Derby were held scoreless for the last 2:24 of the first quarter as Reading took a six-point lead.
The sides exchanged baskets over the opening few minutes of the second, before six straight points from Smith took the score to 29-28 and prompted a Reading time-out.
Trailblazers had the better of the second, which closed with them 39-37 up following a basket from Wilford and a triple from Wesselingh.
A basket from Wilford and a triple from Arogbo stretched the Blazers’ lead to 44-48 early in the third but Rockets stepped up a gear with a 14-3 run to transform the game.
Pemberton made it 59-48 inside the last four minutes of the period and, after a three-point play from Wilford, another 12-2 burst left Reading a 71-53 advantage to take into the final quarter.
Derby cut the gap to 12 points three times through the fourth but they could get no closer, despite good shooting from Wesselingh, who converted a pair of threes and two out of three from the line.
Derby are back in action on Saturday, away to Leicester Warriors, for the chance to make amends for a home defeat just over a week ago.