PREVIEW: ROCKETS AND DRAGONS LOOK TO CREATE HISTORY
History will be made on Saturday in Nottingham.
The City of Birmingham Rockets and the Yorkshire Dragons will collide in the BCB Trophy final at Harvey Hadden Sports Village, pitting two teams in excellent form leading up to this prestigious event.
It will also mark the first BCB title to be claimed since its inception last summer. So how did these teams make it to the final?
City of Birmingham Rockets
W 82-77 @ MK Breakers (Group Phase)
The Rockets needed a strong fourth quarter to overcome the Milton Keynes Breakers 82-77 in their opening Trophy encounter.
Zack Powell lifted Birmingham with 18 points and nine rebounds as his side outscored the Breakers 24-19 in a tense final ten minutes.
W 84-83 vs Hemel Storm (Group Phase)
A three-pointer with less than 25 seconds to play from Eric Donaldson lifted the Rockets to an 84-83 win over the Hemel Storm in a competitive clash in the Midlands.
Lucas McGregor paced the victors with 20 points in a balanced scoring effort from Birmingham, who saw six players in double figures.
W 80-62 @ Bristol Hurricanes (Group Phase)
Donaldson was amongst the scorers again as he poured in a game-high 16 points to help the Rockets beat Bristol Hurricanes 80-62 in the south-west.
Ronald Blain flirted with a triple-double, ending with 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to support Donaldson’s tally.
W 88-71 vs Loughborough Riders (Quarter-Finals)
A double-double from McGregor gave the Rockets the key to the semi-finals as they ousted the Loughborough Riders 88-71 in the last eight.
Donaldson hit three triples and shot 56 percent from the floor for 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead Birmingham to the last four, with Powell pouring in 17 in support.
W 79-71 vs MK Breakers (Semi-Finals)
The Rockets advanced to the Trophy final by securing their second win over the Breakers 79-71 in the semi-finals.
Eric Donaldson led a balanced scoring attack for Birmingham with 17 points, and Ronald Blain secured a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards.
Yorkshire Dragons
W 112-70 vs Falkirk Fury (Group Phase)
Behind a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double from Jack Mielke, the Dragons dismissed the Falkirk Fury 112-70 in their Trophy opener.
After a tied first quarter, Yorkshire raced away with a 37-18 second period to stamp their authority on their Scottish counterparts and seal the victory. Nicholas Lewis chipped in with a double-double of his own, going for 27 points and 10 rebounds, along with six assists.
W 122-120 @ Newcastle Knights (Group Phase)
A David Ulph dunk with a second remaining handed the Dragons a 122-120 victory over the Newcastle Knights in a thrilling battle.
Lewis continued his stellar showing with 36 points and nine assists that paced Yorkshire to victory. Jordan Whelan – who gave the assist to Ulph for his game-winner – had 27 points.
W 106-90 @ Edinburgh Blaze (Group Phase)
The Dragons capped off their unbeaten group play with a 106-90 success over the Edinburgh Blaze in the Scottish capital.
Corey Johnson led six Yorkshire players in double figures with 22 points, as his team shot 53 percent from the field.
W 112-108 vs Worthing Thunder (Quarter-Finals)
Yorkshire edged the Worthing Thunder 112-108 in another high-scoring encounter that has proved to be so typical of the Dragons in this season as they advanced to the semi-finals.
Trailing 53-44 at the half, Yorkshire soared out of the gates in the third en route to scoring 40 points and taking an 84-79 advantage heading into the fourth as they hung on for victory. Whelan led the way with 25 points, supported by Lewis, who had 22, and Ulph chipped in with 17 points and 16 rebounds.
W 93-77 @ Falkirk Fury (Semi-Finals)
The Dragons reached the inaugural BCB Trophy final thanks to a hard-fought 93-77 win over the Falkirk Fury in the last four.
However, the Fury, learned their lessons from the first game and took the game to Yorkshire, however Corey Johnson was inspired, as he drained eight triples on his way to 30 points to guide the Dragons to Nottingham.
Key players
The City of Birmingham has a number of weapons at its disposal, from Eric Donaldson to Lucas MacGregor to the explosive Zack Powell. But look for a hungry and motivated Ronald Blain to get off to an aggressive start. If he achieves that, his all-round game could be an issue for the Dragons. To add, Balin will be looking for his first title in the country, having been a losing finalist with the Dragons, as well as Newcastle Knights and Worthing Thunder.
The Dragons are one of the most exciting offensive teams in the league, but it’s the no-nonsense play of David Ulph that will cause the Rockets issues. A walking double-double this season, Ulph possess tremendous footwork and a keen eye for where the ball will go once the shot is missed. A consistent performer.
This season’s results
City of Birmingham Rockets 92-98 Yorkshire Dragons (29/11/2025)
Yorkshire Dragons 83-91 City of Birmingham Rockets (07/02/2026)
