Derby Trailblazers maintained their perfect start to the season with a 93-84 victory against Coventry Crusaders on Saturday.

 

Despite being joint top of Division, and having progressed in the National Cup the following day, assistant coach Jamie Maudsley says the Trailblazers need to improve their concentration ahead of trips to Reading Rockets and London Leopards in the next two weeks as well as a home game against Manchester Magic

 

"It's great to get two more wins under the belt, but I think we should have won both games more comfortably than we did. I think we mentally switched off a little bit after half time and eased our foot off the gas a bit too much and we just can't afford to do that," he said. 

 

Derby got off to a flying start against Coventry on Saturday, with Simon Allaway unstoppable from outside while both Martin Gayle and Sam O’Shea produced some strong play close to the hoop. They closed the first period with a 13-3 run setting up a 23-14 advantage.

 

The early part of the second period was relatively even, with both sides trading baskets. However, Derby turned up the defensive pressure and held Coventry scoreless for the final four minutes of the quarter.

 

At the other end, some superb team offence saw the Trailblazers piling in eleven unanswered points, the highlight of which was surely the final play of the period. Gayle stole the ball, set off down court, produced a buzzer beating lay-up and was fouled in the process, leaving him the chance of shooting a bonus with no time left on the clock. He did just that to leave Derby 49-26 ahead at the half.

 

The Trailblazers began the next period with a 10-4 run, including a monster dunk from Joel Madourie, who seems to improve with every game. That score gave Derby their biggest lead of the night, at 59-30 ahead three minutes into the third quarter. 

 

A three point play from Dave Attewell took the score to 68-42, after which Coventry unexpectedly began a late challenge. Eight unanswered points followed, before Attewell sank two from two at the free throw line to close the quarter 70-50 ahead.

 

The final ten minutes belonged to just one man. Coventry’s Stephen Danso began to produce drive after drive through Derby's defence as he scored an astonishing 19 of his 35 points in the quarter. He received little support from his teammates and didn't appear to need it.

 

It was a one-man show to which the Trailblazers only real answer came from Allaway, who converted another trio of three-pointers to ensure Derby maintained their 100% start to the season. The long range specialist finished the night with six out of nine from behind the arc and was not surprisingly the Blazers top scorer with 24 points.

 

In a night that saw some incredibly accurate shooting across the board, Gayle finished with a 100 percent strike rate on his way to 13 points, Madourie made 5 from 6, O'Shea 7 from 10, and Attewell 4 from 8, while Danso converted 12 of 14 two pointers and two from three from behind the arc for Coventry. O'Shea finished with 15 and Attewell 14 for the hosts, while Olinger added 20 for Coventry.

 

Leeds Carnegie and Leicester Warriors are also unbeaten in Division One play after contrasting victories against London Mets and Sheffield Arrows.

 

Carnegie won a tight game 86-79 while Warriors blitzed the Arrows 117-80 as the newly-promoted pair improved to 2-0.

 

Manchester Magic are also unbeaten in all competitions following a 99-62 away win at Tees Valley Mohawks.

 

Led by 26 points apiece by guards Stefan Gill and Brandon Kimbrough, Magic were quick out of the blocks and built on a 23-19 first period lead to go into the locker room 49-31 ahead. That lead grew to 65-45 at the final break before Magic wrapped up a dominant performance with a 34-17 fourth period.

 

Brian McCotter led Mohawks with 20, while Steve Leven added 19. David Watts finished with 15 for Magic.

 

Carnegie trailed 25-23 at the first break against Mets but went into the locker room 45-43 ahead. The teams matched each other in the third period, sharing 32 points before a 25-20 fourth period gave Leeds the points.

 

Adrian Fenyn led all scorers with 23 for Leeds, with Zoltan Supola adding 18 and Margai 14. Artura Noha (13) and Jeff Danche (12) led Mets.

 

In Leicester, Warriors shaded a tight first period 26-21 but then took control with a 29-14 second period to lead 55-35 at half-time. Led by 25 Joe Reynoso points, Warriors won a high-scoring third period 37-30 before wrapping things up with a 25-15 final stanza.

 

MD Janiska finished with 20 for Warriors with Matt Martin adding 18. Eboigbe led Arrows with 21.

 

 

Nov 7 2009	Tees Valley Mohawks	62	v	99	Manchester Magic
6.30pm
Nov 7 2009	Leeds Carnegie	86	v	79	London Mets
4.00pm
Nov 7 2009	Derby Trailblazers	93	v	84	Coventry Crusaders
7.30pm
Nov 7 2009	Bristol Academy Flyers	71	v	70	Reading Rockets
7.00pm
Nov 7 2009	Leicester Warriors	117	v	80	Sheffield Arrows
3.30pm
Nov 7 2009	Taunton Tigers	91	v	69	London Leopards
6.30pm