Barnet Bulldogs moved to the top of the NBL Division One table after an impressive show at both ends of the court in their 94-80 win over Oxford Hoops at the Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre.

Chuck Duru drained two three-point shots early on as Nick Allin and Prince Lartey forced turnovers at mid-court to set the tone for the Bulldogs' strong defence throughout the game.

While the hosts struggled against Oxford’s height, a tenacious demand for control of the ball proved key and their superior handling skills left the visitors flailing as they led 51-42 at half-time.

Bulldogs continued to play aggressively in the second half, especially on the defensive end, and were determined to keep control of the game as they pushed for second chance points, scrambled for 50/50 balls and found ways to shoot over Oxford’s taller post players.

Duru finished with 22 points, as Lartey (19) and Conor O'Reilly (10) also hit double figures, with Bintan Delano, Allin and Sean Dzwairo netting nine points each.

And victory left Bulldogs with a 5-1 record at the summit, above Oxford and Surrey on the head-to-head, with a break in their schedule this weekend.

They meet Thames Valley Cavaliers in the last 16 of the National Cup on November 26 and return to Copthall to host London Warriors in the league on December 9.

“It was a good win, we needed it," said coach Neville Polson.

"We needed to show we’re better than how we’ve performed recently. Today was the day to prove it.

"Even though not everything went to plan, we still made it work within our roles. The people on the court kept the intensity up, so it wasn’t difficult to make subs because everyone was performing.

"Bintan did a great job coming off the bench, bringing energy. We reworked a system to keep everyone fresh so that everyone in the fourth quarter is able to go 100mph."