It was all they wanted really, a win under the lights at the Motorpoint Arena, and Vladan Dragosavac’s Nottingham Hoods did not disappoint.

Despite losing the night before, when away to Newcastle Knights, in a bottom of the table clash, the hosts edging the game 87-80, the Hoods bounced back twenty-four hours later to brush aside Milton Keynes Breakers at the of Super Cup Sunday.

The Knights defeat, that would see the Hoods dismantled in a disastrous second quarter, that aside and they could just as well have won the contest, but the deficit from that alone proved too much of a mountain to climb.

Hafeez Abdul (Knights) and Jun Murdock (Hoods) tied for the games top-scorer with 23pts each, the Hoods winning the last two quarters having been down 52-39 at the half; they got themselves back into it in the second half with Murdock being joined in double figures by Landon Taliaferro (21pts) and Greg Skoric (11pts), falling short by seven points at the death.

The following night, Sunday, at the Motorpoint, Murdock et al were on fire, when the Hoods welcomed the Breakers to Nottingham, the hosts winning the first two quarters to take a 39-32 interval lead.

Although the Breakers snatched the third quarter, by three, and the last was tied, the Hoods had done enough as Murdock, and Sam Akano, both registered 18pts each, with Taliaferro bagging 14pts; Breakers’ Nate Robinson would come out as the games’ top-scorer, registering 21pts.

Victory for the Hoods, against the Breakers, moved them to third bottom, two points behind joint-ninth place pairing of London Cavaliers and Newcastle Knights, Bradford Dragons dropping below the Hoods in the table.

Next up for the Hoods, a series of three, consecutive home matches, they hosting Bradford Dragons (twelfth; 15 March), Essex Rebels (fifth; 22 March), and London Cavaliers (ninth; 29 March) as clubs head to the season’s close.

As for the Super Cup finals, B.Braun Sheffield Sharks brushed aside the Surrey 89ers, 105-97, in the men’s final, whilst Oaklands Wolves edged B.Braun Sheffield Hatters, 65-51, in the women’s final.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @hoodsbasketball action during the Hoods win over MK.