Team Derby Convincingly Beat East Midlands Rivals
Team Derby overcame Nottingham Trent Thirds 106-39 to comfortably progress into the next round of the basketball Midlands Conference Cup.
Derby began the game at a rapid tempo, going twelve points up inside the first two minutes and nullifying Trent to a 14 nothing run initially. In particular, Niall Carson stood out in the first quarter for the visitors as he helped himself to 18 points as Derby ended the first quarter 35-14 to the good.
In the second quarter, Derby carried on from where they left off with Carson and Martins Bulans combining to score 19 points; the former had 28 to his name at halftime. In the dying seconds of the half Austin Anderson pulled off an eye-catching dunk to round off the scoring at 65-24.
In the second period Derby couldn’t quite sustain their pressure and intensity after effectively sowing up the match in the previous two quarters, however, they still limited the hosts to 15 points after the break.
The win means that Team Derby remain unbeaten in all competitions this season and appear to be going from strength to strength.
Derby’s manager Dan Watts said: “Overall I think it was a really good performance, I think we’re at about 85% of what we can be.
“We played really good pressure defence; we didn’t really give them chance to get set. Our play style is to be aggressive from the get go.”
Watts’ side will be looking to carry on their good form against Anglia Ruskin University’s first team next time out.
BY MATT ABBOTT (@MattAbbott_) AND SAM JONES (@SammyJones456)