Derby Trailblazers 97 (28, 50, 77) } BCB League
Newcastle Knights 102 (24, 57, 83)
Photo credit Michael Taylor.
A much-improved performance saw the Derby Trailblazers come extremely close to recording a
statement victory over Newcastle Knights, but they couldn’t quite get the result over the line.
A good start saw Derby leading by seven points early in the second quarter, before the Knights
gradually built a fourteen-point advantage in the third quarter. However, the Blazers twice tied the
score in the fourth and were only trailing by a single point with seventeen seconds remaining,
before losing 102-97 as a thrilling game drew to its conclusion.
It was a performance Derby could be genuinely proud of, coming after a humiliating defeat away to
Loughborough Riders and against one of the top two sides in the country, who still have a real
chance of lifting the league title for the first time in their history.
Jai Pathmarajah led the Blazers efforts with 25 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and
two blocks, with Malcolm Smith adding 20 points, six rebounds, one steal and one assist. Mo
Walker had 19 points, five rebounds and two assists, while Rob Marsden was in great form as he
completed a double-double of ten points, thirteen rebounds, one assist and one block.
In the backcourt, Connor Washington and Charlie Brown did a great job of distributing the ball to
players who could score, with Washington dishing off twelve assists to go with his seven points
and Brown providing seven assists, four rebounds and four steals.
For Newcastle, Jaron Thames went a perfect three from three shots from beyond the arc, ten of
fifteen in the paint and six out of seven from the free-throw line as he racked up 35 points, to which
he added six rebounds, seven assists and three steals to put himself into contention for the league
Player of the Week award.
Bradley Dean flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and ten assists,
while Sam Trunley came off the bench to provide 20 points, two rebounds and six assists. The
Knights ability to shoot 59% from beyond the arc also contributed to their success.
After Messiah Jones opened the scoring with a lay-up, Washington sank a three-pointer via a
Brown assist and baskets from Pathmarajah and Walker quickly gave Derby a 7-2 lead. Jones and
Walker then exchanged three-point shots before Will Neighbour kept the long-range shooting fest
going with another triple to make it 10-8.
Derby capped an 8-6 run off with a three-pointer from Pathmarajah before a basket from Dean and
another outside shot from Mekhi Hendry gave the Knights a 19-18 lead, but six points from May-
Thompson helped the Blazers to close the first quarter with a 10-5 to lead 28-24.
A strong start to the second saw a basket from Marsden answered by a three-pointer from Dean,
before an offensive put-back from Pathmarajah and a fade-away from Smith gave the Blazers what
would be their biggest lead of the game, at 34-27 with 8’08” on the clock.
The Knights then dominated the remainder of the second period, stretching their lead to 57-45 with
twenty-seven seconds left before half-time. A basket from Smith and a three-pointer from
Pathmarajah reduced the gap to 57-50 at the break.
As the third quarter got underway, the three-pointers were once again reining from both sides, with
May-Thompson on target for Derby and both Dean and Thames on target for the Knights as they
opened the period with a 10-5 run to lead by twelve points.
Derby responded with back-to-back triples from May-Thompson and Pathmarajah along with an
offensive put-back from Walker to make it 67-63. Just when there was a glimmer of hope, the
Knights sank back-to-back triples of their own prompting a time-out from the Blazers, with 5’23” on
the clock and the score reading 73-63.
Walker responded with a hook shot before Newcastle once again converted consecutive three-
pointers through Trunley and Neighbour to give them their biggest lead of the game at 79-65.
Derby needed a response and they got it in the form of a 12-4 run which took the score to 83-77 by
the end of the third quarter.
When Smith opened the fourth with a three-point play there was a real sense of belief from the
noisy crowd at The Wig and that belief continued to rise as the Blazers gradually narrowed the gap
still further. Eventually, a bucket from Pathmarajah was followed by Smith splitting a pair of free-
throws before a turnover from the Knights allowed Smith to tie the scores at 89-all with 4’45” left.
A jump-shot from Dean put Newcastle back in front, but Dean then fouled Washington whilst he
was attempting a three-pointer, sending him to the line for three shots and the opportunity to put
Derby into the lead for the first time since the second quarter.
With anticipation rising, he calmly sank the first, but his second attempt span around the rim and
back out. His third attempt was nothing but net, tying the scores at 91-all, but fifteen seconds later
the Blazers hopes were dashed as Washington fouled out.
A 7-nil Newcastle run followed with Thames getting five of those points, but Derby responded with
four points from Smith and a lay-up from Walker to make it 98-97 with forty-three seconds left.
Newcastle took a time-out with 17 seconds left and just two on the shot clock but cleverly they
devised a brilliant play which allowed Trunley to beat the buzzer and make it 100-97 with fifteen
seconds left.
The Blazers took their final time-out, but their attempts to find space for a three-pointer were
thwarted and a driving lay-up from Pathmarajah, which could have forced overtime, was sadly off
target. Jones then sealed the 102-97 win with a pair of free of free-throws, but Derby’s Hea
Coach Kyle Henderson remained proud of the Blazers’ performance:
“After a dreadful game against Loughborough, we needed to try to and bounce back in a positive
way, so hopefully the standard has been reset, and we can continue to play at that level in every
game moving forward.
“They’ve got some really strong individual talents in that team with the likes of Dean, Thames,
Trunley and Neighbour, who have experience in the SLB. Thames definitely came to play and hit 35
points, but we scored 97, and I think that on any other day that’s good enough to win
the game.
“However, when they’re scoring multiple three-pointers from five or six feet despite the fact we’re
trying to keep them really pressured, then you’re up against it. They hit 16 threes against tough
defence and I’m incredibly proud of the way the guys bounced back and played with some real
passion,” he said.
Derby: Pathmarajah 25, Smith 20, Walker 19, May-Thompson 16, Marsden 10, Washington 7, Brown 0,
Burr 0, Lawrence DNP, Norman DNP, Pastor DNP, Tallon DNP.
Knights: Thames 35, Dean 24, Trunley 20, Jones 9, Neighbour 9, Cork 4, Hendry 3, Riley 2, Angus 0,
Reed 0, Cork DNP, Saa DNP, Soodeen DNP.
Derby make the long tip to Essex Rebels next Saturday, but they will be boosted by the knowledge
that if they can maintain that level of form, a return to winning ways might not be too far away.
Written by Nigel Cash.
It was a weekend that proved progress isn’t always measured by the scoreboard for the
Derby Trailblazers, as both the U16 Girls and U14 Boys showcased remarkable resilience in
the face of physical opposition. From the girls doubling their offensive output against the
Neptunes to the boys navigating a bruising encounter with Northants Thunder, the focus
remained firmly on team chemistry and competitive spirit. Despite the challenges of injuries
and tough scorelines, both squads demonstrated that they are finding their rhythm at the
perfect time, with coaches praising the “never-say-die” attitude that has become the hallmark
of the Trailblazers’ season. Let’s jump into this week’s Weekend Review…
BLAZERS U16 GIRLS FIND TRIUMPH IN DEFEAT AGAINST NEPTUNES
“It’s a bit strange to say I’m happy with a 55-point loss,” said Coach Saunders, but the Derby
Trailblazers U16 Girls went into the game against Northampton Neptunes knowing it was
going to be a difficult one and played their hearts out. Northampton relied on one standout
player and a handful of well-drilled set plays designed to get that player open for the shot.
While the Trailblazers eventually worked out the strategy, they initially struggled to cope with
the clinical execution.
It was the same story of too many sloppy passes and missing opportunities, yet this was
arguably the team’s best performance of the season. The effort was top-notch as the players
competed hard for every single ball, showed great discipline in transition defence, and
moved with purpose on offence. Most importantly, the attitude remained excellent throughout
the challenge. A clear marker of progress was the fact that the girls scored twice as many
points as they did in the previous home fixture. With only one game remaining, there is a real
sense of optimism; if the team from today shows up, it should result in another win to close
out the season.
BLAZERS BRING THE THUNDER WITH TEAMWORK AND TOUGHNESS
Derby Trailblazers U14 boys faced a tough and very physical opposition in Northants
Thunder this week, finishing Thunder 84 Blazers 43. While Derby had anticipated a physical
battle, they didn’t expect to be managing the game while dealing with several injuries.
Despite the scoreline, Coach Bilbie was reasonably happy with the team’s performance,
noting that the Blazers managed to score more points against Northants than they did in the
reverse fixture earlier this season.
During the team talk, the boys were reminded that the afternoon wasn’t about chasing the
result; instead, the focus was on how they played as a unit and their willingness to compete
until the final whistle—a challenge they absolutely met. Coach Bilbie noted that the team is
at its best when they avoid overdribbling, highlighting that some of the link-up play was
excellent and something they need to replicate more often.
The players were encouraged to play with confidence and take their shots whenever the
opportunity arose, with the coach reminding them that there is no such thing as a bad shot if
the rest of the team is ready to crash the boards on offence. The Blazers go again next
week, with the next three games offering a prime opportunity to improve Derby’s current win
ratio, provided the boys stay grounded and continue to compete hard until the very end.
