Heartbreak for the Hoods at Harvey Hadden against Derby
After an impressive victory against the Fury in Falkirk, the Hoods returned home at the Harvey Hadden Sports Village to welcome their neighbours, the Derby Trailblazers.
The two teams met on the A52 yesterday evening - neither side looking to concede as the game was close-knit from tip off. The Hoods looked to set the tone in the first, playing aggressive defense on the inside which was a huge improvement from their previous Derby run-in. All the aggression on display meant nothing came easy for the Trailblazers - forced into earning their points at the charity stripe. The Hoods’ rugged style of defence persisted for the most part as Derby only scored their first field goals in the final four minutes of the quarter. Freethrow shooting unfazed the Blazers regardless as they were unconscious from the line. A free throw from May-Thompson saw the quarter end 17-17.
The Blazers built on their momentum from the previous period in the second, May-Thompson sinking a three to start. Their momentum snowballed as the quarter went on, stringing possessions together to mount a 13-5 run against the Hoods. The aggression and intensity the Hoods played with in the paint earlier seemed absent as the Blazers managed to feast off second chance points. It was clear that the Blazers had found their footing and were beginning to grow into the game. A hard flagrant foul from Pathmarajah, however, saw momentum shift towards the Hoods as Savery-Richards saw the quarter out with a couple free throws to keep the game within ten.
The third quarter was an uphill battle with the score entering the period being 32-42. Hasty decision making in the back court led to a lot of turnovers in transition as the scoreline seemed to panic a lot of the players. The deficit only grew as the period dragged on, the Blazers punishing the Hoods in the open court, handing them a fifteen-point-deficit as they entered the fourth.
A comeback seemed to be in the works in the closing period of the game as a spark from Cam Polak ignited the team. The American guard erupted for eight points in the quarter alone, lifting the crowd onto their feet as he turned the court into his very own dance floor, pirouetting past defenders in the paint. It was an impressive 12-2 run but , despite his and the team’s best efforts, the Hoods fell short seven points as the game ended in a frustrating 70-77 defeat.
By Gabriel-Javis Megueu
The Hoods will be back this Saturday looking to make amends as they host at home once again. The Bristol Flyers will be coming to town on the 10th. Grab your tickets below.
https://app.fanbaseclub.com/fixture/nottingham-hoods/21528
