Eagles fly high in BBL
Newcastle Eagles 85 Sheffield Sharks 80
BBL Championship – Friday 28 October 2011
A spirited display from the depleted Newcastle Eagles saw the home side beat BBL rivals Sheffield Sharks for the second time in a week. Still without talisman Charles Smith and new acquisition Joel Madourie the Eagles rotated just 6 players for all but a minute and nineteen seconds of the hotly contested encounter.
Speaking prior to the game coach Fab Flournoy indicated that Smith would return next week with Madourie hopefully following suit seven days later. Welcome news for Eagles fans as their beat up team continue to play with a level of intensity belying their threadbare roster.
This second win came the hard way, with the Sheffield side arriving in Newcastle a better prepared unit than that in last week’s encounter at the EIS. Early exchanges were nervous and error prone with neither team scoring in the first two minutes. A quick exchange of baskets saw the score level at 6-6 before the visitors inspired by guards Jimmy Langhurst and Nate Reinking edged to an 18-14 lead of at the end of the first quarter.
The Eagles were shocked into a time out after a 10-2 run from Sheffield at the beginning of the second quarter. Hampered by an impressive defensive display from the Sharks and some uncharacteristically bad shooting from the field, the Eagles managed to hang on to their opponents tails and were happy to go into the break just 4 points down at 36-32.
It was a rejuvenated Eagles team that hit the court in the second half and the home crowd were lifted by two trademark three point shots from Joe Chapman. Still to fully recover from his horrific ACL tear, the former Marquette guard is gradually getting back to the form that made him basketball journalists’ player of the year in 2010. Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, the momentum swung the Eagles way with the third quarter ending 57-53 in their favour.
The sub-plot to the Eagles fight back was the foul count tightrope that they walked throughout the second half. Player/Coach Fab Flournoy, a driving force for the Eagles on the night, was the first to foul out with 4.12 remaining in the final stanza with the home side holding what seemed like an unassailable 76-62 lead. By the time point guard Paul Gause joined him the lead had been slashed to a meagre two points at 81-79. It was an offensive night to forget for Gause shooting just 18% from the field and 67% from the free throw line but he can hold his head high for the heart that he and his teammates displayed in a memorable second half.
Gause’s departure was the cue for young Eagle Ross Wilson to join the fray and 30 seconds later he found himself with a shooting opportunity just inside the 3-point arc. Showing nerves of steel he drained the baskets sparking ecstatic celebrations throughout Sport Central.
For all the gritty impressive performances from the Eagles on the night, it was fitting that Andrew Thomson clinched the victory from the line as it was he who proved the real thorn in the side of the Sheffield Sharks with a huge double double of 25 points and 16 rebounds. Darius Defoe joined him with yet another double double of his own.
Two crucial back to back wins against one of their main rivals for the BBL Championship have left the Newcastle Eagles at 3-0 and although it is very early in the season they’re looking a very difficult team to beat. Next up for the Eagles is the visit of Milton Keynes Lions to Sport Central on Friday 4 November at 7.30. If it’s anything like as eventful as this game you’d be foolish to miss it!
Follow Darrin Smith on Twitter at @oledj
