DURHAM WILDCATS coach Dave Elderkin is determined to stay positive despite a string of results casting doubt on his side’s chances of making the post-season play-offs.

The top eight teams will contest the traditional April tournament, and with Wildcats in 11th, two points off eighth-placed Sheffield Sharks with seven games to play.

But Wildcats’ momentum which had built from three wins from four games in January has broken down, with their February 10 victory over London Lions the only win in six BBL fixtures, culminating in a double defeat to Plymouth Raiders and Worcester Wolves last weekend.

The bunfight for BBL points continues on Sunday with Wildcats travelling to Glasgow Rocks, chasing their first points against the Scottish outfit.

And Elderkin clearly rates the Glasgow side highly.

“Rocks were on top form when we played them two weeks ago, and it was no surprise they took Leicester close last weekend,” said the Durham playcaller.

“We are certainly getting familiar with the play of the teams at the top – Eagles, Rocks, Raiders, Wolves all in February, and it’s back to the Rocks for the first game in March.

“The results haven’t gone our way but the team stayed positive throughout the month and is slowly building its identity and becoming harder to beat, a vital step on the way to building a winning programme.”

Elderkin refused to blame Durham’s tough weekend a week ago on the amount of travelling they were asked to do, returning from Plymouth – their biggest trip of the season – to host Worcester less than 48 hours later.

“We played Plymouth on the road on Friday, and home to Wolves on Sunday, a difficult ask, yes, but we have to handle what the schedule gives us,” Elderkin said.

“It was extremely tough to keep up the level of play in the second game but, apart from a spell in the third, we did, and that’s what we have to learn to do and be resilient during these spells.

“We started the season with a new team. We needed time to figure things out, by January we felt we were playing good basketball. Our goal remains to make the play offs, we don’t earmark particular games, we take it one game at a time and now we just have to keep on pushing to the point where close losses become wins.

“Looking ahead, we’ll remember Glasgow sprinted out of the blocks and we were caught cold. We learnt two or three important lessons from our last encounter with the Rocks which we must put into practice this Sunday.

Wildcats will be without Keith Page, who is not ready to return to action.