NBL1 recap: 17/18 February - live streams, stats and more

Wins for six of the top seven means it's largely as you were at the business end of D1M.

Only Hemel failed to cash in by virtue of not having a game this past weekend, with one more round of action now ticked off before the impending post season.

We take a look back at all of the weekend's action below, with links to live stats and live streams at the bottom of the page.

Reading Rockets (11-5) 85-77 Nottingham Hoods (7-10)

Reading Rockets continued their push for a top four spot, seeing off Nottingham Hoods 85-77 in yesterday's only game.

Condemning the Hoods to their sixth loss in the last seven games, Reading started quickly to lead by five after one, only to be pegged back in the second and leave the game finely poised at the break.

The hosts had the better of the final 20 minutes, doing just enough to edge both quarters and seal their eleventh win of the campaign.

In a competitive contest between two evenly-matched sides, Nottingham will be aggrieved to have come up short when on another day the result could have been quite different.

Shooting 47% to Reading's 48%, the visitors won the rebound battle 42-41 as well as coming out top of the assist tally 21-20, though ultimately trailing on the scoreboard.

Such fine margins meant that individual input at key moments won the day, with Reading's Lewis Champion (15pts) and Christian Alexander (15pts, 7reb) both contributing well off the Rockets' bench, whilst starters Elijah Maynard (11pts, 9reb), Reis Pinnock (10pts) and Mitch Clarke (10pts, 7ast, 4stl) all did their bit.

Nottingham also rode a pair of 15 point outings from Johde Campbell (6reb, 5ast, 2stl) and Joshua Guddemi (5reb, 3ast) before coming up short and wondering what might have been.

The win keeps Reading ahead of Newcastle in the race for fourth spot, whilst results elsewhere meant Nottingham stay in seventh despite the defeat.

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Elsewhere this weekend

26 points, eight boards and five assists from Logan Rooney helped Newcastle University (11-6) knock off Barking Abbey (2-16) 99-85.

Posting 33 points in both the first and fourth quarters got the hosts over the line, with Josh Moore (18pts, 8reb, 4ast, 4stl) and Sauveur Kande (25pts, 7/13pts, 21:54 of action) both making big contributions.

Loughborough Riders (10-7) edged a close encounter with City of Birmingham Rockets (5-12), coming through 84-81.

Elijah Bailey's (25pts, 3eb, 3ast) battle with CoB's Sam Toluwase (26pts, 12reb) was a good one, though it was the Loughborough man who would be smiling come the final buzzer.

Bradford Dragons (8-9) made home advantage count as they beat London Elite (3-14) 85-74.

Winning the assist battle 20-5, Bradford opened up good looks throughout to shoot 48% from the floor, with Ronald Blain (29pts, 9reb, 4ast, 4stl) making the most of those opportunities for the hosts.

Thames Valley Cavaliers (5-12) couldn't slow down title-chasing Essex Rebels (14-2), though they certainly came close before falling to an 80-75 defeat.

A fourth quarter comeback looked to be on the cards as TVC came from 10 back to trail by just one, before the Rebels regrouped to stay ahead for good.

Victor Olarerin (27pts) top scored for the visitors, Bode Adeluola (23pts) led the way for the Cavs.

Derby Trailblazers (15-2) had no problem keeping themselves out in front of the D1M standings to close Saturday's action, heading to Worthing Thunder (6-11) and winning 95-81.

A 31-21 opening frame allowed DTB to lead from tip to buzzer despite a stunning 38 point effort from Worthing's Hafeez Abdul.

Malcolm Smith (27pts, 7reb) and Sam Masten (20pts, 8ast) had enough between them to keep Abdul at bay, sealing Derby's fifteenth win of the season in the process.

This weekend's results:

Saturday 17 February

2pm - Newcastle University 99-85 Barking Abbey - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

6pm - Loughborough Riders 84-81 City of Birmingham Rockets - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

6:15pm - Bradford Dragons 85-74 London Elite - LIVE STATS

7pm - Thames Valley Cavaliers 75-80 Essex Rebels - LIVE STATS

7:30pm - Worthing Thunder 81-95 Derby Trailblazers - LIVE STATS

Sunday 18 February

4pm - Reading Rockets 85-77 Nottingham Hoods - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM

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Main image credit - Luke Simcock