BCB League
Derby Trailblazers 84 (18, 42, 59)
Yorkshire Dragons 95 (19, 38, 62)
Derby Trailblazers gained swift revenge as they ground out an 84-79 home win over Yorkshire
Dragons at the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre. It was an impressive result, given that eight
weeks ago, the Dragons had run away with an 86-80 win in the group stage of the BCB Trophy,
while Derby were still trying to find their feet.
Those two months have made a huge difference to the fortunes of both clubs, with the Dragons
unable to carry their Trophy form into the league season, while the Trailblazers put a disappointing
Trophy campaign behind them as they opened the league season with six wins out of seven starts.
With Malcolm Smith still ruled out through injury, Blake Bowman shone in his home debut, leading
Derby’s efforts with 21 points, which included four three-pointers and three out four free-throws in
just 26 minutes of court time off the bench.
Kendrick Gilbert continues to grow into his role and impressed with 14 points, four rebounds and
one assist, while Jai Pathmarajah added 13 points and Connor Washing sank both of his three-
point attempts before adding three free-throws to finish with nine points.
Jackson Dudek led the Dragons with 22 points, with captain David Ulph completing an impressive
double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds. Youngster Jack Walton converted four out of eight
three-pointers on his way to 12 points, while former Derby guard Corey Johnson was held to just
ten points with just three of his seventeen shots finding the hoop.
Trailblazers Head Coach Kyle Henderson says frustrating the former Blazers fan favourite was a
key part of their plans:
“It was another great win, especially considering we had lost by 26 against them in the Trophy. The
result shows how much we’ve improved and how much cohesion we’ve added and I still think
there’s so much room for more growth, especially when we get Malcolm back.
“Defensively, we set out to make it very tough for key players like Corey and credit to the guys that
guarded him like Kendrick and Rodney, they made it hard for him to get going. We felt that when
Corey struggles, the entire team struggles and that proved to be a key part of our success.
“Admittedly, they got a high number of offensive rebounds, but they only produced eleven second-
chance points from 14 boards, so I think that shows we were strong defensively.
“In the first half, they got a lot of back door opportunities but overall, it was our defence which won
that game and we kept them to well below their average.
“Offensively, we had four guys in double digits and the beauty of this team is that could be any four
guys get those kind of numbers on any given day. When Malcolm comes back, we can genuinely
run one to eleven and be able to replace like for like across on the floor,” he said.
For the first time in several weeks, Derby won the jump-ball with 6’4” Casey Burr out-jumping 6’10”
David Ulph to secure the opening possession from which Gilbert scored via an assist from Burr.
Johnson replied with a triple, reminding the home fans what he is capable of, but few would have
expected eleven of his next twelve long-range shots to be off target.
Gilbert then converted from outside before Dudek replied in kind, but a basket from Burr and a pair
of free-throws from Pathmarajah gave Derby an early 9-6 lead. The Dragons edged the remainder
of the opening period with a three-pointer from Ulph forming part of a 13-6 run which opened up a
five-point lead, before Washington slotted home from long range to make it 19-18 at the first break.
Bowman opened the second quarter with the first of four three-pointers, three of which came in the
opening six minutes of the period, as Yorkshire repeatedly left him open. His second was followed
up by another triple from Washington, which took the score to 32-23 and forced the Dragons into
their first time-out, with 5’41” on the clock.
Yorkshire got the response they were looking for as Walton came off the bench to convert a pair of
three-pointers, either side of a rare Derby turnover. Not to be outdone, Bowman replied with
another triple, as he moved to 14 points long before the half-time break.
Consecutive scores from William Kemp and Ulph late in the quarter saw the visitors reduce the gap
to a single point, before Pathmarajah struck from outside to help Derby take a 42-38 lead into the
half-time break.
Walton opened the third quarter with his third triple of the night, but the Blazers worked hard to
keep the scores tight and a 5-0 burst gave them a 55-50 advantage midway through the third.
Yorkshire responded with a 7-0 run of their own which included another triple from Walton and a
pair of free-throws from Johnson which gave them a two-point lead.
Bowman then tied the scores before Johnson scored from both sides of the arc either side of a
basket from Rodney Glasgow Jr. sending the Dragons into the final quarter with a 62-59
advantage.
Derby knew they had to dig deep and they got the perfect response as Glasgow Jr and Evan
Walshe converted back-to-back three-pointers before Washington added three from three at the
line for a 68-62 advantage.
It turned out to be an unassailable lead and the closest Yorkshire came in the remainer of the
game was when Dudek converted a three-pointer straight out of a time-out with 11 seconds left,
taking the score to 81-77. Gilbert and Pathmarajah then sealed the win with three out of four at the
line, either side of a jump-shot from Jefferson.
Summing up another impressive victory, Coach Henderson paid tribute to what his bench players
brought to the game:
“To get fifty points off the bench is special, but when you look at who we’re bringing off the bench,
it’s perhaps not surprising. Whether it’s Blake, Rodney Glasgow Jr., Evan Walsh, Connor
Washington or Raheem May-Thompson, we’re a difficult matchup for opposing teams.
“Kendrick was solid and Blake shone once again, despite still finding his feet, so I think once he’s
fully embedded and familiar with the sets we run, we’ll become even more dangerous,” he said.
Derby: Bowman 21, Gilbert 14, Pathmarajah 13, Washington 11, Glasgow Jr 7, May-Thompson 6,
Walshe 5, Burr 4, Marsden 2, Brown 1, Paradysz DNP.
Dragons: Dudek 22, Ulph 18, Walton 12, Johnson 10, Kemp 7, Jefferson 6, Dubiel 2, Rogerson-Evans 2,
Onye 0.
Derby Trailblazers are back at the Clarence Wiggins Sports Centre next Saturday when Reading
Rockets are the visitors for a 7:30 pm tip-off.
Written by Nigel Cash.
TRAILBLAZERS U14s DOMINATE GIANTS 60-19
Derby Trailblazers U14 Boys Local League delivered a commanding performance on court,
securing a comprehensive 60-19 victory over Mansfield Giants behind a sharp offensive start
and suffocating second-half defence.
Derby set the tone immediately with an explosive first-half display. Swift, decisive forward
passing carved through the Giants’ setup to generate a steady stream of transition lay-ups.
Paired with aggressive, high-pressure defensive rotations that forced a continuous flurry of
turnovers, the Trailblazers seized control early to build a formidable 39-11 lead by the half-
time break.
The opening half also showcased Derby successfully translating practice ground work onto
the game floor, regularly executing fresh inbound sets drilled in training earlier in the week to
convert valuable points in key moments.
While the offensive scoring rate slowed slightly after the interval, the Trailblazers ramped up
the defensive intensity even further. Derby clamped down on Mansfield’s opportunities at the
rim, restricting the visitors to just eight points across the entire second half to lock in the
result.
Capping off an exceptional team display, every single Blazers player found their way onto
the scoresheet, led by three players finishing in double figures.
BLAZERS U18 II CRUSH BARNSLEY IN 122-34 ROAD MASTERCLASS
Derby Trailblazers U18 Men II produced a ruthless, wire-to-wire performance on the road,
storming to a massive 122–34 victory over Barnsley Advance.
From the opening tip-off, Derby dictated the terms of the contest. The young Blazers
matched relentless energy with high-level execution, executing sharply on offence while
establishing suffocating pressure across the floor.
To their credit, Barnsley never backed down, battling hard and continuing to compete
through every possession. However, they found no answers for the visitors’ relentless pace
and depth, with Derby maintaining elite standards and relentless intensity across virtually all
four quarters.
It marked an emphatic team display and another impressive developmental leap forward for
the squad.
BLAZERS U18 CONF POWER TO 80-65 AWAY WIN AT BEDFORD THUNDER
Derby Trailblazers U18 Conference produced their standout performance of the season so
far, claiming a well-earned 80-65 road victory against Bedford Thunder.
Travelling to face an unpredictable Bedford side capable of huge individual displays, the
Trailblazers erased any pre-game uncertainty by delivering a cohesive, high-energy four
quarters. Derby competed tirelessly at both ends of the floor, executing with discipline and
making their offensive opportunities count. Whenever structure was injected into the half-
court sets, the execution was clinical, while the squad showed great composure and grit to
improvise and create scoring lanes when plays broke down.
A major highlight came in Derby’s tactical adaptability. Faced with a Thunder zone defence
they had not specifically drilled in recent practice sessions, the Blazers adjusted seamlessly
on the fly, reorganising their spacing and ball movement straight out of a quick timeout to
dismantle the setup.
While there remain key teaching points for the group—particularly capitalising on their size
advantage on the glass and tightening late-game clock management after rushing
possessions in the final quarter—the result marks a significant stride forward.
The composed road performance provides a huge boost of confidence for the young side
ahead of back-to-back testing home fixtures against Dynamite and Wildcats.
TRIPLE THREAT: BLAZERS U12s KICK OFF MINI LEAGUE CAMPAIGN
Derby Trailblazers’ next generation took to the court at Mapperley Sports Village as all three
U12 Mini League teams launched their new season with an action-packed opening
weekend.
The day featured a heavy wave of league debuts across the squads, with eleven young
players donning the Derby jersey for the first time in Mini League action.
The Purple team got proceedings underway in a fiercely contested, down-to-the-wire battle
against Ilkeston Outlaws, featuring two players making their competitive debuts. The Black
team followed with another thrillingly tight matchup against HKA Rockets, blooding five
debutants who held their own under pressure. Wrapping up the slate, the Blue team were
handed a stiff test against a strong Nottingham Hoods outfit, with four players earning their
league debuts.
Across all three fixtures, the common denominator was exceptional cohesion and unselfish
team basketball. The young Blazers routinely looked for the extra pass, translating the floor
spacing, off-ball movement, and passing drills worked on in training directly into live game
situations.
It proved to be a thoroughly encouraging start to the season for the entire U12 programme,
laying fantastic foundations for the weeks ahead.
