Your Nottingham Hoods have sure picked up some form in the British Championship Basketball proceedings of late, and in doing so are now making a push for the playoffs.

Vladan Dragosavac’s side, since the turn of the year, have moved up to eighth in the league standings, completed a clean sweep over East Midlands rivals Derby Trailblazers, won five straight games, and had a player in the Team of the Week for the last four weeks….

Oh, and in their last outing, on Friday night, toppled the league leaders, Newcastle Knights, at the Hoods’ Harvey Hadden home, a result that shows that they are back to their scintillating best.

Back-to-back victories at the turn of the year against Bristol Flyers IIs afforded the Hoods some momentum, then, a third successive win over Derby Trailblazers (84-81) in the middle of January elevated hopes.

That rivalry success over the Trailblazers meant the Hoods are 3-0 for the season against their East Midlands rivals, winning 87-73 in the BCB Trophy encounter, followed by an early season, 91-90 victory, whilst the third success over Derby was the Hoods third win of their current, winning streak.

In their last two outings, against Bristol Hurricanes (24 January) and Newcastle Knights (30 January), the Hoods have continued their impressive momentum, with the former of the two seeing Sam Akano, Tyrone Williams, Donell Nixon II, and Bryce Johnson all posting double figures.

Three Hurricanes, Daniel Edozie and Denzel Ubiaro (19pts) and Elvisi Dusha (13pts), also registered, but the Hoods’ dominant attacking prowess shone through, with no fewer than FIVE of the home stars posting doubling figures in the points column.

The BCB leaders, Newcastle Knights, headed to the Harvey Hadden this past Friday night (30 January) having won thirteen of their previous fourteen games; perhaps a needle-pusher in the Hoods’ favour was that one loss had been the game before last, a 94-78 defeat in the capital, at London Cavaliers.

Vladan Dragosavac’s charges however, when the Knights came to town, increased their advantage as each period progressed, in a game that saw eight players overall post double figures, Jaron Thames and Sam Trunley (22pts apiece) doing so for the defeated visitors.

The Hoods though, they led by nine points at the break, before pushing it out to eleven at the end of the third, eventually registering an impressive, dominant, thirteen-point victory (95-82) with Tyrone Williams, Bryce Johnson, Thierry Walker, Donell Nixon II, and Elliot Bailey all doubling up for the hosts.

Williams registered an impressive 30pts, 6rebs along with Johnson’s 24pts, 16rebs, 2asts, whilst Walker (19pts), Nixon and Bailey (13pts apiece) wrapped proceedings and pushed the winning streak to five games.

The Hoods will now look to push on in February and make a play of the playoffs, beginning this coming Saturday when they travel to another of their local rivals, twelfth place Loughborough Riders.

After the trip into Loughborough, Dragosavac’s Hoods then host a Yorkshire Dragons side whom, at present, are in seventh (one place, two points above the Hoods), on Valentines Night, before finishing the month with a trip to Hemel Storm, who at present are in eleventh place.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @hoodsbasketball Tyrone Williams amongst the points for the Hoods.