Eagles Soar but the Tigers are far from Toothless!
Newcastle Eagles 94 Mersey Tigers 77
BBL Championship – Friday 27th January 2012
Last year’s annus mirabilis for Mersey Tigers still rankles with Fab Flournoy. In fact, you get the feeling that no matter how many trophies his Eagles side amass over the coming years nothing will completely make up for the pain of last year’s barren campaign. Speaking before the game, Flournoy made his thoughts about his opponents perfectly clear. “It’s Mersey Tigers. They beat us (last season) and I’ve got too much venom in my blood from last season to let them off the hook.”
As enjoyable as last week’s BBL Cup euphoria was, Fab was also keen to emphasise the need to move on. “The Cup is fantastic but for me it’s history, it’s in the scrapbook. Our team, we don’t talk about it anymore. It was great while we had it but we’ve got bigger fish to fry now. The League won’t be decided until the end of the season. At that point we’ll see where we’re at and if we’re in striking distance, we’ll make our move.”
After tonight’s clash the next piece of silverware looms large on the horizon. “Right now we’re planning on the trophy. We’ve got a hellish double header next weekend and the week after that we’ve got another. If we get through those games against Sheffield we’ll get to the Trophy Final. If we can win that that will be part two of our goal, our accomplishments for the team.”
If last weekend’s remarkable 89-75 win in Glasgow is to be a portent of the Mersey Tiger’s renaissance, there was little evidence of this in the first quarter at Sport Central. Ignited by their coach’s bullish pre-match words, the home side made an explosive start dominating at both ends of the court. With new Spanish acquisition, Antonio Bustamante making his debut at point guard, the visitors we’re disjointed, turnover happy and simply awful in the first quarter. As bad as the Tigers were, Paul Gause’s scintillating performance would have destroyed much more accomplished opponents. He racked up 12 points and chipped in with a couple of steals but that just scratches the surface of his electric display, with the ebullient ex-Seton Hall man putting in arguably his best period in a black and white vest. The Eagles led 25-7 at the end of that first stanza and at that point it looked like it was going to be a long night for the visitors.
The second quarter started in much the same vein with Eagles still cruising at 38-18 with 4.08 remaining but there comfort was to be short-lived. This season Eagles’ fans have become all too familiar with their side allowing big leads to disappear and as the Tigers started to bare their teeth late in the quarter, the home side fell apart. The next 19 points belonged to the Tigers as the tore apart the Eagles defence to go into the locker room just one point adrift at 38-37. Bustamante was throwing out dimes like Ricky Rubio had landed in the BBL and the pedestrian veteran David Aliu started to turn back the sands of time. A half of two quarters.
The turnaround was complete when Aliu sank the first basket on the second half to give the Tigers a 39-18 lead, the first of the game. Fortunately for the home crowd at Sport Central it was a rejuvenated Eagles that landed on court rather than their lacklustre shadows that ended the first half. Man of the moment, Charles Smith came to life and sparked his team and the crowd to life, draining a couple of trademark 3 point bombs. The Eagles led by 11 at 58-47 midway but had to settle for a slender 67-61 lead at the end of the quarter as the Tigers refused to be tamed.
For the visitors that was as good as it got as the home side, buoyed by the livewire Gause and a huge offensive push by Joe Chapman extended their lead throughout the final period. The final score of 94-77 would have been similar to many people’s pre-match predictions but this was no 17 point game. The Eagles continue to do what Champions do, win. On a night where BBL Championship rivals Worcester Wolves narrowly lost in Sheffield, the Eagles juggernaut rumbles on.
Speaking to Paul Gause after the game on his effervescent first half performance, he was modest in his own appraisal, “The first half fitted more into the way of how I play. We were getting the rebounds and I was getting outlets to get me easy layups.” On his 4 steals, something he was well known for in college basketball, “I’ve been trying to pick and choose my opportunities a little bit smarter when I go for steals and not break our defensive principles. Whenever I can read it and I’m sure I can get it I go for it. The first half was perfect for the way I like to play.”
Paul is growing into the League, adapting to different refereeing interpretations that have resulted in him experiencing regular early foul trouble but he has begun to look like the point guard that Paul Blake and Fab Flournoy have put so much faith in. “As the team gets better I get better.” That’s something for all Eagles fans to look forward too.
On news of rivals Wolves defeat, Paul left me with ominous words for the rest of the League, “We’re not worried about what the rest of the League do. We just take care of our games and whatever happens happens. As long as we win and we keep doing what we do the rest takes care of itself.”
Next stop is a trip to Sheffield Sharks on Friday for Gause and his team in the first leg of the Trophy semi-final. The big games are coming thick and fast for the Eagles as they travel further South to Worcester for a top of the table clash with Wolves the following night.
