straight out of Albany and St. Bonaventure University's respectively. The addition of local players Roderick Wellington, Deng Deng (brother of Luol Deng), Canadian Peter Knechtel and Welsh international Nathan Hayes, bolstered an impressive roster and with eight straight victories to open the season, the Raiders were on course to claim the newly rebranded NBL Conference title. The first defeat of the campaign came in the Trophy Semi-final to a Worthing Thunder team that inflicted two further defeats upon Plymouth throughout the season and matched the Raiders all the way in the hunt for silverware. However, it was Raiders who came out on top with a 19–2 record and the Conference crown for the first time in the franchise's history. The season was completed with an excellent run in the Play-offs sweeping aside Sutton (98–68) and Manchester Magic (162–155 over two games), before commanding an 83–77 defeat on Worthing at Wembley Arena and claiming the Championship double. After two seasons in Portugal, Terrence Durham's return was the only adjustment in a largely unchanged roster for the 2003–2004 season which saw the club accept an invitation to appear in the BBL Trophy for a second time, adding to a tough schedule including the league (now reverted to EBL Division 1), the National Trophy and the National Cup, which for the first time in history didn't feature any BBL teams. Progress through the National Cup provided interest early in the season, and the Final was reached with Teesside Mohawks providing the opposition at the EIS Sheffield, however it was Raiders who walked away with the George Williams Trophy after a close 89–82 victory. The National Trophy was once more unattainable following a surprise defeat to Sutton in the semi-final, but Raiders domination in the league secured another trophy, finishing first with just two defeats to London United and Reading, who finished in second place. The Play-off Final was reached again, but Raiders were unable to add a third title to the season's haul as Teesside, exacting their National Cup defeat revenge, came out on top with an 80–75 win. Move to the BBL and recent years (2004–2016) Having firmly established themselves as the dominant force in Division 1, the Plymouth board sought new challenges for the team and to expand the Raiders brand and during the summer of 2004 announced that they had been admitted into the top-tier BBL. During the 2006–07 season