Eagles Start To Climb With Strong November
After a difficult October where it struggled to secure a win, Newcastle Eagles saw an upturn in fortunes in November as the Vertu Motors-backed side made strides up the British Basketball League standings.
Things didn’t start well as the new month kicked off, with the optimism generated by a European North Basketball League win over Brno but a trip to Leicester Riders would end in huge disappointment with a 111:88 defeat.
The Eagles had started strongly to lead after the first quarter, but Leicester would romp clear in the second and third quarters to leave the team with seven defeats from the opening ten games.
A trip to Latvia to face off against Valmeira Glass VIA resulted in a second win in three in European competition, and this time around, the victory would prove to be the catalyst for more success as the month wore on.
When Manchester Giants visited the Vertu Arena, the Eagles produced an impressive attacking display as Jordan Johnson, Rickey McGill and Josh Ward-Hibbert all scored 20+ points to secure a 97:85 win.
That was followed by back-to-back games against the Plymouth City Patriots, with the Eagles winning 95:68 away from home before returning to Newcastle to take a 98:82 victory in front of the live Sky TV cameras.
The ‘local derby’ against Caledonia Gladiators was up next in Scotland, with the Eagles recovering from a tough opening quarter to roar back and secure a fourth successive league win.
The London Lions were next and a stunning performance – led by 25 points from Johnson – saw the Eagles secure a dominant 102:80 victory. Up by 13 after the first quarter, the Eagles were 28 clear by half-time and whilst the Lions tried to fight back late on, the winning record continued as the Eagles became the first away team to come away from the Copper Box with victory this season.
Another 100 point haul against Surrey Scorchers in the final game of the month made it seven successive wins to take into December with the Eagles moving up the table towards the top two.
November Results:
- Leicester Riders (A) – Lost 111:88
- Valmeira Glass VIA (A) – Won 90:74
- Manchester Giants (H) – Won 97:85
- Plymouth City Patriots (A) – Won 95:68
- Plymouth City Patriots (H) – Won 98:82
- Caledonia Gladiators (A) – Won 82:73
- London Lions (A) – Won 102:80
- Surrey Scorchers (A) – Won 100:87