WORCESTER Wolves went down 128-97 at home to leaders Derbyshire Arrows in the National League Division One.

Wolves went into the game boosted by the return of Rhys Hocking to the team.

The opening quarter saw the Wolves start at a blistering pace with Josh Cooprider dominating the scoring for the Worcester side.

The American guard scored 19 points in the first phase of the game and while Derbyshire scored regularly they had no answer to the young American.

Paul Gerald held the Wolves defence together as the quarter closed with the home team leading 33-27.

Derbyshire came out in the second quarter and pressurised the Worcester side in all areas of the court.

The Wolves struggled to maintain the momentum from the early stages and Richards and Anderson scored well from long range for the Arrows.

Colin Chiverton and Rick Solvason found gaps in the Derby defence but the visitors took control of the game and went into the interval with a 56-49 lead.

During the second half, both teams exchanged baskets. Cooprider again scored well from three-point range and Solvason drove well to basket, pulling several fouls from the Arrows defence.

Going into the final quarter only 11 points separated the teams and as the visitors were in serious foul trouble, the home crowd anticipated an upset.

Expectations were short-lived as the league leaders appeared to step up a gear with Anderson and Richards again scoring effectively.

The Wolves offered little resistance as the Arrows pulled further and further away during a four-minute spell.

Hocking and Tom Thornton offered some resistance with some good offensive play, yet the visitors finished the game in convincing style with three slam-dunks.

They finished with a 31-point winning margin but the key part of the games was the final quarter that saw the Arrows capitalise on the home team's inconsistency.

Cooprider top scored with 36 points that included eight three-pointers. Solvason bagged 14 points, despite leaving his sick bed to lead the team on court.

After the game coach Chris Lowe summarised the Wolves' frustrations, saying: "Once again we competed for three quarters of the game, by switching off during one quarter it cost us the game."

The Wolves need at least three wins out of their last four games to secure a top four finish and a home draw in the play-offs.

Next Saturday the Wolves play their final home league game of the season against Mansfield.

Director of Operations Mick Donovan stressed the importance of the game, saying: "We badly need a win next week and the crowd will play a major part.

"We can still finish in the top four but we now look like the underdogs, let's see how the players respond."