Overtime agony for Blazers as the champions prevail
IT took overtime to separate the sides but Derby Trailblazers eventually went down to a 109-104 home defeat to NBL Division One champions Team Solent Kestrels.
Derby had trailed in each of the first three quarters but stayed in touch and an 8-0 burst had them five points up late in the fourth before the champions battled back level and then took the extra period 16-11.
Derby were even three points up ahead of the last second but Cole Gentry was fouled as he shot, the ball dropped in and he made the bonus to tie the scores at 93-93.
Malcolm Smith and Ryan Bruggeman, Derby’s two top scorers, fouled out in overtime as the Kestrels kept Derby at arm’s length after establishing a fivepoint gap.
Smith led Derby with 31 points and 10 rebounds, while Bruggeman’s home debut brought him 25 points, 12 assists and three rebounds.
“Ryan had a great home debut against some of the league’s best defenders and he really showed what he’s capable of,” said head coach Matt Shaw.
“It’s going to be interesting to watch him develop as he gets used to the league and I think the fans will love his tenacious play.
“Mal was sensational too and that’s something we’ve grown accustomed to over a long time now but when he fouled out in overtime it was a big blow for sure.”
Smith had given up four of his five fouls in an attempt to restrict Orlan Jackman, who had 24 points and seven rebounds, but Andre Arissol was the star for the Kestrels, coming off the bench to lead Solent with 29 points, while Kemel Archer had a 16 point/16 rebound double-double.
The Kestrels had got off to the better start despite being without American forward Travis Charles.
They led 13-7 after five minutes but strong play from Derby and Smith in particular saw the lead cut to 15-14 two minutes later.
The American had netted all of the points and swatted away an Arissol attempt within that spell, before Solent responded with six straight points and they led 24-19 after a quarter.
An 8-2 start by Derby to the second saw Solent coach Matt Guymon flying into a rage and earning a technical foul only two minutes in.
Bruggeman sank the bonus before a Jonas Dieterich threepointer and another two for Bruggeman saw Derby complete an 11-0 burst to take what would be their biggest lead of the game, at 33-26.
The visitors responded strongly, a 22-10 run restoring their fivepoint advantage at 48-43 at halftime.
Derby whittled away at that through the third and were 70-69 down going into the last.
Baskets from Ash Ugo and Dieterich put them ahead and after Solent tied the game at 74-all, Sol Rolls-Tyson had the vociferous crowd going wild as he drained a three-pointer.
Down as he was, Shaw said: “I was really pleased with the guys’ performance but equally disappointed that we didn’t quite manage to get the result.
“It’s going to hurt for a little while but there are lots of positives to take from it and there will be chances to bounce back in the coming weeks.
“It was a really great atmosphere and I think that really helped. It was so good to have fans back and bouncing like that for such a close and exciting game.” DERBY: Smith 31, Bruggeman 25, May-Thompson 16, Dieterich 12, Rolls-Tyson 10, King 4, Ugo 4, Carter 2, Brown 0, Oberia DNP, Roberts DNP.
SOLENT: Arissol 29, Jackman 24, Archer 16, Gentry 14, Busumbru 12, Okoronkwo 7, Richarson 5, Sentance 2, Dadds 0, Poorman DNP, Scarlett DNP.