Hoods eke out narrow victory against Derby Trailblazers in Nottingham

The Hoods’ anticipation for the BCB’s second season finally came to an end this afternoon as they crossed paths with Derby on their course towards the BCB trophy. Looking to build on last year, the team came out the gates strong securing a hard-fought 79-76 win at home against their local rivals, setting the tone for the rest of the season. 
It was a strong showing in the first quarter with new signing Cameron Kahn leading the charge with 9 points before eventually posting a total of 23 to end the game. With Kahn firing on all cylinders early on, along with the fast-paced play in transition, the Hoods saw themselves maintaining the lead for most of the half. As the build up toward half-time progressed however, the Hoods were heading into the third staring down a 12 point deficit after being brutally out rebounded on the defensive end by Derby Trailblazer’s Malcolm Smith.  
Nonetheless, the second half saw the Hoods mount an impressive comeback inspired by playmaking sequences from both Cam Polak and Sam Akano. Sam, especially, made his presence felt among his teammates recording 9 assists after coming off the bench. The two guards combined for 16 assists in total (enabling a run). Paired with Kahn’s unrelenting offensive output heading into the third and fourth, the team managed to haul themselves out the 12 point hole and towards a narrow three-point victory. 

The Hoods will continue their quest for silverware against the Yorkshire Dragons at home once again on the 18th. In the meantime, they host Liverpool Basketball at Mapperley on the 12th as they come to town for a friendly.