Bulldogs Basketball

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The Bulldogs hosted the first-ever Barnet Basketball Festival at Copthall Leisure Centre, attracting over 200 attendees in a vibrant celebration of the sport. Co-hosted by the Bulldogs and Barnet Council, the event featured showcase games for both the U18 and senior teams, providing a taste of what’s to come in the upcoming season.

The festival kicked off with a basketball skills session for children aged 7-16, led by Wuma Sports. Over 40 enthusiastic young players participated, learning the skills session led by Bulldogs player and Wuma Sports co-founder, Chuck Duru. The energetic session set the tone for a day filled with excitement.

The first game of the Vallectric Hoops Showcase, saw the Bulldogs’ U18 team take on Southern Premier opponents London Elite. Despite a valiant effort, the Bulldogs were outmatched, losing 74-58, despite standout performances from Jem Florin-Sefton and Ori Vahap. Their performances kept the Bulldogs in contention, but London Elite’s relentless defense proved too much for the home side to overcome.

The main event of the day saw the senior teams face off in a preseason clash between two NBL Division Two South contenders. With new coach George Gazetas at the helm, the Bulldogs, missing several key players, gave debuts to new signing Demi Adenuga, trialist Deji Adekunle and promoted junior talents Erind Bislimi and Jem Florin-Sefton.

London Elite came out of the gates quickly, establishing an early double-digit lead, spearheaded by former GB U20 standout Romario Spence, who lit up the court with a game-high 31 points. However, the Bulldogs refused to back down. Behind the steady leadership of Prince Lartey and Chuck Duru, who combined for 19 of the team’s 41 first-half points, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to just seven at the halftime break. The second half saw a rejuvenated Bulldogs squad, as returning stars Conor O’Reilly and Benji Stewart, along with Adenuga, powered a comeback, briefly giving the home team a six-point lead midway through the third quarter.

Turnovers, however, proved to be the Bulldogs’ undoing, as London Elite regained the advantage, taking a narrow 66-65 lead into the final quarter. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, the Bulldogs couldn’t sustain their momentum as fatigue and foul trouble took their toll, allowing Elite to pull away for a 91-84 victory.

Adenuga and O’Reilly led the Bulldogs with 18 points each, while Lartey and Duru contributed 17 points apiece in a well-rounded effort. London Elite’s Spence was supported by Kane Daley, who added 29 points to cement their victory.

The Bulldogs will continue their preseason campaign against NBL Division Three side Northampton Titans away at 3pm on Saturday, with the regular-season fixtures set to be finalised and released in the coming days.

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