After three wins in their opening four games of the season, British Championship Basketball outfit, Nottingham Hoods, proceeded to lose their next seven outings, Vladan Dragosavac’s charges slipping down the table.

The turn of the year however has prompted a change of fortunes, the Hoods now enjoying a three-game winning streak, two of which were against the divisions’ bottom club, winless Bristol Flyers IIs.

You can only defeat what is in front of you though and, following back-to=back wins over the Flyers, the Hoods, in their last outing, took care of visiting local rivals, Derby Trailblazers, who are further up the table in sixth place.

Of those losses, two were narrow when on the road at Yorkshire Dragons (84-79) in mid-November, and at Essex Rebels (85-76) in mid-December; the loss at home to Reading Rebels though will be one to forget.

Late-November saw the Rebels, currently second in the BCB standings, visit Harvey Hadden and, although the Hoods put up seventy points (Tyrone Williams 28pts, Bryce Johnson 25pts), the visitors racked up a 101-70 success (Victor Olarerin 24pts, Saimon Chamberlain 22pts, Malik Bryant 17pts).

At the end of December, the scheduled game at home to Worthing Thunder was cancelled due to ‘unexpected heating issues,’ the same reason the following game was relocated to Mapperley.

The Hoods though have picked themselves up from that losing streak, and have seemingly turned a corner in 2026 and, against the Flyers, the two sides posted a combined score of 195-144, in Dragosavac’s sides’ favour.

In the first game, on 3 January at Mapperley Sports Village, the Hoods registered a 103-73 success with five players notching double-figures, Tyrone Williams topping the bill with 25pts 6rebs 9asts of his own; in addition, there was also Elliot Bailey 16pts 4rebs 3asts, Bryce Johnson 14pts 12rebs 1ast, Donell Nixon II 13pts 4rebs 4asts, and Jani Griffith 12pts 4rebs.

A week later, in the return at the SGS College, the Hoods claimed a 92-71 victory courtesy of Bryce Johnson’s 20pts 11rebs, alongside double figure hauls for Tyrone Williams 19pts 7rebs 6asts, Micah Savery-Williams 12pts 6rebs 1ast, and Donell Nixon IIs 11pts 4rebs 5asts; for the Flyers, Ebuka Ekwegh 16pts, and Lanre Ayinla 20pts, top-scored in games one and two respectively.

As for their last outing, the Hoods completed a clean sweep of East Midlands rivals, Derby Trailblazers, the game on Saturday (16 January) seeing an 84-81 success adding to the earlier, also narrow, BCB Trophy 87-83, and 91-90 League wins.

This time around, at the Harvey Hadden, Tyrone Williams again peaked in the scoring with an impressive, 28pts 12rebs 4asts, he being joined in double figures by Donell Nixon II 16pts

2rebs 4asts, Elliot Bailey 15pts 6rebs 1ast, alongside Bryce Johnson and Sam Akano 12pts apiece (Johnson also had 12rebs to his name).

In addition to the Hoods starting 2026 with three straight wins, 2025 finished with star player Tyrone Williams breaking the 200pts barrier for Nottingham Hoods, and moving him into fifth place overall in the BCB.

Next up for the Hoods, to see out January, are two completely different tests, second bottom Bristol Hurricanes are hosts at the UWE Centre for Sport on 24 January, before the present leaders, Newcastle Knights, head to the Harvey Hadden to close the month, on 31 January.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @hoodsbasketball Tyrone Williams in action.