Derby win second KitKing Trophy with victory over Bradford
Derby Trailblazers claimed their second KitKing Trophy title with an 89-74 win over Bradford Dragons in the final on Saturday evening in Loughborough.
Derby rode Jonas Dieterich in the first half, where he had 22 of his game-high 25 points including five threes in a six minute stretch in the opening quarter, and then Malcolm Smith in the second as he finished with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.
The final buzzer sounds as @derbyblazers win their second @D1Trophy with a 89-74 win over Bradford Dragons!
Sam Masten with 24p 8r 7a named MVP, Jonas Dieterich with 25p, and Malcolm Smith with 15p 11r.
Ronald Blaine led Bradford 21p 7r 5a. pic.twitter.com/aiitrs2MvO
— Hoopsfix (@Hoopsfix) March 16, 2024
However, it was Sam Masten who shone from start to finish, ending with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to claim MVP honours.
With Derby cruising in the second half, leaving by as many as 20 early in the fourth, Bradford had a furious rally in to get it back within seven at one point before the Blazers were able to hold their nerve.
“Fantastic game, really proud of the guys, the way they found a way to absorbed that run in the fourth quarter – made us a little nervous for a while,” Derby Head Coach Matt Shaw said after the game.
“But we composed ourselves and found a way to get the win.
“Full team effort and to get to this stage loads of different players have had big parts through the group stages to get to the final, Jonas was sensational in the first half, makes coaching pretty easy when someone shoots the lights out like that, Sam was on fire the whole game, controlled the tempo and did what he does every game.
“We couldn’t get Malcolm going in the first half, credit to Bradford they did a great job guarding him, but Mal’s a class player and was confident in the second half he’d find a way to get the scoreboard rolling and he did just that.”
MVP Masten added:
“It was awesome. For me, I tried to step out there today and do what I can to help us get the win.
“It was my first chance competing for some silverware over here and so I wanted to go out and leave it all out on the floor.
“I’ve got so many talented players around me too which makes my job easier so I was trying to just take what the defense gives me and that’s what I was doing today.”
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