Tip-off saw Newcastle take possession, but it would be Bradford who drew first blood. The team quickly rallied to sink a three-pointer just 13 seconds later to put numbers on the board. A shaky start meant that Newcastle were nine down within four minutes, however, a timeout called by Coach Mark Elderkin bolstered the team to finish off the quarter 28-29.
The second quarter carried more momentum, with more passes and rebounds. Newcastle tightened up their defense to force more layups from Bradford, which was rewarded by defensive rebounds that minimised the Dragons' scoring chances. A particularly thrilling moment of the first half came in this quarter when this season's BUCS Premier North MVP Logan Rooney stole the ball to lead a breakaway down the court. The dunk drew whoops from the fans and marked the turnover where Newcastle visibly perked up as team morale strengthened. The halftime buzzer sounded with 52 - 48 on the board.
Music was pumped through the hall as players rested and coaches reviewed their strategies. Some fans were invited to give free throws a go, and the atmosphere in the sports hall was one of excitement and anticipation. The fifteen minutes soon wrapped up, and both teams took to the court with fresh determination for the second half.
Bradford clearly had a pep talk as their third-quarter showing was much better than twenty minutes prior. They put eight more points on the board than they did last quarter, a challenge that narrowed Newcastle's lead back down to one point. Those ten minutes left the board on 76 - 75 with it being anyone's game.
The ball was in Newcastle's court - literally - as they led the charge in the last portion of the game. First basket was a beautiful three-pointer sunk by Josh Moore, who would end the game as Newcastle's top scorer of the day. The Dragons would respond with a seven-point streak, but Newcastle confidently took the lead back throughout the match, shutting down Bradford's attacks again and again. Percy the Lion got involved, gesturing for the fans to cheer and even doing the wave during free throws. The final buzzer sounded on a 97 - 90 score, a decisive victory over the Dragons who seemed to have lost their spark in the last quarter.
Sunday's game was a crucial one to win, not only as a precious home win to boost morale but also to remain in the fight for fourth in the league. As of writing, Newcastle sit fifth on the table, tied at 26 points with third and fourth (Hemel Storm and Reading Rockets respectively). Coach Elderkin noted, “It was amazing to see such a huge turnout to support us for the big game vs Bradford. A slow start to the game but we quickly turned it around. Exciting for the fans as it went down to the wire but we held our nerve at the end when it mattered most.”
Rewatch the game here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWoSxqamal8&t=5783s and catch the next home games live on the Newcastle Sport channel on 23rd March and 6th April.
