Team Northumbria edged one step closer to an historic league and cup double on the back of a brilliant 79-73 win at Bradford.
However, the Sport Central club’s quest for the Division One title doesn’t get any easier with back-to-back clashes in Loughborough and Manchester this weekend.
And coach Marc Steutel won’t allow his players to rest on their laurels with just six games left to decide the final league placings.
“Another win is great but all it means is that we now have to prepare for another very difficult weekend away from home,” he said.
“The tough road trips are coming thick and fast and in a run of away games like this it’s all about getting that preparation right.
“However, we’ve been planning for this period of the season for some time now and we know what we need to do.”
TN could easily have slipped up as they faced a potential banana skin in Bradford.
The homecourt Dragons had a 10-9 record going into the clash and are bidding to make the playoffs with a top eight finish.
However, TN fell back on their trademark total team basketball with five players hitting double figures.
And a Bradford offence averaging 92 points per game was restricted to just 73 thanks to a major defensive effort.
“I was really proud of the resilience from our group down there,” added Steutel.
“We played in a challenging environment and showed great character to overcome a fourth quarter deficit and get the win.
“We were really disciplined defensively and kept a lid on an offence that’s firing on all cylinders this season.
“I thought Siman Stewart showed his ability and experience in the fourth quarter making some crucial plays but really everyone contributed.
“Malcolm Smith was again excellent and top scored with 24 but again we had five players in double figures.
“As a coach you always feel confident when your defence is doing its job and a spread of players is scoring at the other end.”
TN face Loughborough on Saturday before a pivotal clash against title rivals Manchester Magic on Sunday.
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