A pair of losses for Newcastle and a defeat for Reading probably gives both sides too much to do in the title race, leaving Derby, Essex and Hemel to carry on after all three picked up further wins.
There was a huge result at the bottom as London Elite beat Barking, but City of Birmingham ending their losing streak lessened the impact of that result.
We take a look at all of the weekend's action below, with links to live stats and live streams at the bottom of the page.
Top dogs Derby had too much for Newcastle, using a big third quarter to ease to an 89-76 win.
Early in the third the game seemed to be going in a very different direction. The visitors came out firing from the half-time break and padded their lead up to 12 points.
By the end of the quarter, the complexion of the game would be significantly different, with Derby reeling off a 31-11 frame to instead lead by 15.
Much of Derby's success can be attributed to another top outing from Malcolm Smith (29pts, 11reb, 5ast) and a near quadruple-double from Sam Masten (19pts, 9reb, 9ast, 7stl).
Veteran forward Rob Marsden (11pts, 16reb) also went to work on the glass for another double-double, allowing his side to edge the rebounding battle 54-48.
Both Logan Rooney (25pts, 5reb) and Justin Hopkins (19pts, 6reb) continued their recent good form, but the pair were the only Newcastle players alongside Josh Moore (14pts 7reb) to make it to double-digit scoring.
Another win, Derby's 13th of the season, keeps them at the top of the standings, whilst Newcastle now look set to push for a top-four finish rather than a regular-season title.
.
What can you do for basketball?
— Basketball England 🥇🥈 (@bballengland) February 8, 2024
Aged 16-24? Join us:https://t.co/sJv6ey0hyP pic.twitter.com/SEBdNC3JjC
Hemel Storm (12-3) kept pace at the top as they handed the first of two weekend defeats to Barking Abbey (2-15), winning 93-71.
Storm shot 51% from the field thanks to efficient performances from forwards Hakeem Sylla (24pts, 6reb) and Darien Nelson-Henry (10pts, 7reb), with Taylor Johnson adding another 17 points.
London Elite (3-13) took the spoils in Sunday's meeting with BA, keeping their survival chances alive with a 78-70 win.
Charles Acquah-Davis (23pts) led all scorers for the hosts as Ty Nsangu (15pts, 17reb) went off with a sizable double-double.
It's as you were at the top as Essex Rebels (13-2) joined Derby and Hemel in the win column this week, beating Bradford Dragons (7-9) 96-78 thanks to a 24-point, eight rebound, seven assist effort from Luke Busumbru.
City of Birmingham Rockets' (5-11) losing streak is over after they put a potentially-terminal dent in Reading Rockets' (10-4) title hopes.
CoB triumphed 81-75 off the back of solid outings from Orlan Jackman (18pts, 13reb) and January signing Jayden Grewal (18pts, 4ast), easing their potential relegation fears in the process.
The Rockets couldn't keep that momentum going yesterday though as Bode Adeluola inspired Thames Valley Cavaliers (5-11) to a 104-100 W, with the veteran guard pouring in an impressive 32 points.
Newcastle's weekend didn't get any better as they followed up defeat in Derby with a home loss against Worthing Thunder (6-10), going down 94-91.
A 30-18 third had Newcastle in the mix before being derailed by a 25-17 fourth, with Logan Rooney's 30 points and 28 from Joel Moore coming up short against Worthing's balanced offence. Seven Thunder players scored eight or more, led by 18 points and 10 boards from Daniel Johnson-Thompson.
Unlike Newcastle, Reading were able to bounce back from Saturday disappointment as they went to Loughborough Riders (9-7) and prevailed 85-80.
Eighteen points apiece from Jermiah Jenkins and Mitch Clarke were enough to get the job done for the Rockets, with Elijah Bailey (25pts, 5reb) and Victor Ndoukou (21pts, 4reb) both playing well in defeat for the Riders.
Barking Abbey 71-93 Hemel Storm - LIVE STATS
Essex Rebels 96-78 Bradford Dragons - LIVE STATS
City of Birmingham Rockets 81-75 Reading Rockets - LIVE STATS
Derby Trailblazers 89-76 Newcastle University - LIVE STATS
Newcastle University 91-94 Worthing Thunder - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM
Thames Valley Cavaliers 104-100 City of Birmingham Rockets - LIVE STATS
Loughborough Riders 80-85 Reading Rockets - LIVE STATS/LIVE STREAM
London Elite 78-70 Barking Abbey - LIVE STATS
.
Main image credit - Ben Hunter
