Derby Trailblazers welcome Worthing Thunder to the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre for the first
of two consecutive home games, the second of which sees them facing the league leading
Reading Rockets next weekend.
Thunder started the season in great form, reaching the Quarter Finals of the BCB Trophy courtesy
of wins over Essex Rebels and London Cavaliers, before winning their first six league games. A
subsequent drop-off in form saw them knocked off top spot, before slowly sliding down the table to
their current ninth place standing.
Derby are currently eighth, four points ahead of Thunder and with a game in hand, meaning a win
in this fixture would confirm the Trailblazers involvement in the play-offs, while simultaneously
ending Worthing’s hopes of extending their own season.
The Trailblazers won the reverse fixture 76-73, helped by the return of fan favourite Malcolm
Smith, who piled in 20 points and collected ten rebounds to mark the occasion in style. Worthing
were led by Justin Hopkins with 23 points, but the talented American sent a statement of intent last
weekend by setting a league record of 53 points in their defeat to Nottingham Hoods.
Hopkins has excelled in the second half of the season, no doubt doing his bit to help cover the
absence of Adrian Scarborough, who recently had to return home to America following a setback
during treatment for medial collateral ligament injury which he picked up in December.
Scarborough’s departure leaves a big hole for Thunder to fill, as he was ranked second for scoring
at 17.9 ppg and first for rebounding at 9.1, but Trailblazers Head Coach Kyle Henderson knows
Worthing have plenty more weapons at their disposal:
“It’s always disappointing when a player’s season ends early because of injury, especially when it’s
someone like Adrian who was the backbone of their team. However, they still have three or four
players who are capable of piling on the points and distributing the ball well.
“At this stage of the season, we’re always more concerned with making sure we’re playing our best
basketball, which I think we’ve done in the last couple of games. A win this weekend would secure
our place in the play-offs and that’s been our aim for some time now, so we’re hoping we’ll have a
packed crowd at The Wig to help us go out and get the job done,” he said.
American Elijah Maynard (13.1 points / 4.0 rebounds) and veteran GB centre Matthew Bryan
Amaning (10.8 points / 5 rebounds) are Worthing’s other main threats in terms of scoring, while
veteran guard Bode Adeluola leads the team with 3.6 assists.
Saturday’s match is a 7:30 PM tip-off at the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre and as a special offer
to mark the start of the Easter Holiday, it’s Kids for a Quid on the door. Anyone who can’t attend
can still follow LiveStats via CLICK ME!
