Nissan stretched their Durham League unbeaten run to five games and moved to the top of the first division league table with a 81-70 home success against Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets.

Arran Hope hit 13 of the 16 points which gave Nissan a great start and a 16-4 cushion after five minutes. Three players, Dan Bailey, Luke Thompson and Graham Ord, all then hit three point baskets in a 17-4 burst which took Hornets into the first break with a 21-20 advantage. Rolls were reversed in the next quarter as points from Thompson and new signing Stuart Anderson gave Hornets the lead at 33-26 before Lee Davie, Barry Fenwick and Ian Barrow all hit points to bring Nissan back to 36-35 at half-time. Hornets made the better start to the second half, before Nissan produced the match-winning 10-0 spell. Hope was once again at the heart of the action as support came from Gary Simpson and this time Hornets were not able to recover the ground as they trailed into the third break 64-52 down and on to the end 11 down.

Hope and Simpson were outstanding for Nissan with 33 and 20 points respectively. Four players hit double figure scores for Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets; Luke Thompson (16), Leon Thompson (12), Bailey (11) and Ord (10).

After a couple of blank weeks Willington Wasps notched their second league win of the season with a 75-61 victory at Durham against hosts Belmont Reds.

After an even start, Wasps effectively won the game with a 22-6 phase which started in the seventh minute of the first quarter and ended after four minutes of the second quarter as the score went from 14-9 against them to 31-20 in their favour. Neil Campbell had started that run with nine points. His lead was picked up by Neil Baxter and when Luke Somerville finished the spell with three baskets in a row Belmont were struggling. Simon Whittaker did come up with some answers and he and Richard Huntley cut the gap to just 43-35 as the first half closed. The second half was like a see-saw. First Wasps flourished at 52-37. Belmont then rose to 54-49. Two more spells on the fairground ride finished at 62-56 to Wasps with five minutes to play, before the visitors finally sealed the win with a 13-5 finish.

Points were well spread throughout the Willington Wasps team, although four players; Campbell, Somerville, Baxter and Ben Scorer did hit double figures with 19, 16, 12 and 10 points respectively. Huntley and Whittaker were the pick for Belmont Reds with 22 and 13 points apiece.

The best second division game of the week gave title favourites Trimdon Community College Association a 113-94 victory at home to Old Houghtonians.

Houghtonians led 14-4 after four minutes. Wayne Oliver inspired a recovery and a 14-4 spell, this time to Trimdon, left the sides locked together at 21-21. The second quarter belonged to Houghtonians. as a switch to man defence by Trimdon failed to contain Anthony Burdis who collected 15 points to help take the visitors into the interval 60-43 up. Trimdon finally shook off their lethargy in the third quarter. Lee Norton initiated the turn around with 20 points during a ten minute phase in which a 17 point deficit changed to a nine point lead with three-quarters of the contest gone. The final quarter was basketball at its best as the aggregate score topped 200 just before the end.

Norton was excellent for Trimdon CCA with 34 points, Anderson netted 20, Ian Harrison and Jamie Paul bagged 17 and 16 as Oliver and Chris Elliott chipped in with 14 each. Taylor led the Old Houghtonians scoring with 30, Buris added 22 whilst Luke Jenner and Carr collected 14 and 11.

Consett Steelers took over as the team most likely to stop Trimdon CCA from lifting the second division trophy with a superb 105-91 triumph over last week's league leaders Hartlepool Hawks ND.

After a slow start Matt Patterson initiated a Steelers fight-back for a 16-14 fifth minute lead. The next 15 minutes of the first half were even as Patterson and Brendan McNeaney piled up the points for the visitors only to see Luke Thompson, Sven Skupin and Graeme Errington reply and take Hawks into the interval just up at 47-45. No less than six three-pointers from five different players gave Hawks the better start to, and a 71-62 lead after seven minutes of, the second half. Once again Steelers turned the game on its head as three different players shared a 15-0 burst which gave them the lead again at 79-74, a lead which they did not surrender.

Patterson, McNeaney and Mark Ewen were the Consett Steelers match-winners with 46, 33 and 20 points respectively as five players hit double figures for Hartlepool Hawks ND; Luke Thompson (24), Leon Thompson (19), Skupin (15), Errington (15) and Anthony Robinson (11).

Shildon Strollers enjoyed a comfortable 75-44 home success against a below strength Durham Saints as MalBallard, Criag Lowe and Steve Pattison netted 26, 17 and 13 points respectively. The match as a contest was all over bar the shouting as Saints failed to trouble the scorer during a first quarter which ended with Strollers 20-0 ahead and out of sight.

Three-quarters of the derby between Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A and East Durham and Houghall College A at Dyke House School in Hartlepool was even. The first, second and final quarters scored 24-20, 22-25 and 29-22 and added up to a College lead of 75-67. Unfortunately for Hydraulics that only left the third and decisive quarter which for no explicable reason, other than Hydraulics missed their shots, scored 34-8 to College and left Hydraulics down and out at 80-53 with ten minutes to play.

Mark Vickers, John Bergin, David Wylie and John Harding did the damage for East Durham and Houghall College A with 31, 28, 20 and 17 points respectively as four players shared most of the Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A points; Gary Keith (23), Colin Knight (16), Paul MacDonald (14) and Gareth Hammond (10).

The top third division game of the week brought the hitherto two unbeaten teams, East Durham and Houghall College B and Belmont, head to head at Peterlee. Belmont had the better skills, much the better of the first half and in the end a well earned 74-64 victory.

David Waldock hit 12 points in giving Belmont a 19-11 cushion as the first ten minutes closed. Mark Elderkin and Liam Haggerty then shared points in a 16-4 spell during the second quarter which took them through to the interval with what looked like an un-catchable 35-18 cushion. That lead had stretched to 52-24 by the seventh minute of the second half before Tony Swallow and Paul Cassell initiated a recovery which almost turned the game on its head. The fight-back started with a 17-0 'purple-patch' in the last three minutes of the third quarter and continued during the opening six minutes of the final quarter in which Cassell and Swallow between them managed to cut the gap to just 62-55, but that was to be as close as they got.

Elderkin, Waldock and Haggerty finished with 21, 18 and 15 respectively for Belmont, whilst Swallow got a best of the season 31 points for East Durham and Houghall College B. Cassell added 21 to their total.

Division One: Belmont Reds 61 Willington Wasps 75; Nissan 81 Hartlepool HQ Engineering Hornets 70.

Division Two: Hartlepool Hawks ND 91 Consett Steelers 105; Middlesbrough College Academy B 82 Durham Saints 87; Shildon Strollers 75 Specsavers Wear Valley Wolves 44; Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics A 75 East Durham and Houghall College A 109; Trimdon Community College Association 113 Old Houghtonians 94.

Division Three: East Durham and Houghall College B 64 Belmont 74; Teesside Huskies 82 Hartlepool CJ Hydraulics B 64; Young Houghtonians 35 Durham Knights 41.

Womens Division: Tyne and Wear Juniors 41 Nissan Sunderland 60; Durham Knights 47 East Durham and Houghall Academy 76; Nunthorpe Boro Bruins 56 Newcastle College Wildcats 50.