Schneck injury costs Jets dear
A brave and determined performance from Cheshire Jets was just not enough to save them from their third defeat of the BBL Championship at home to Newcastle Eagles.
Foul trouble cost the North West side victory in the end losing out 74-78, however the feeling was that the outcome could have been completely different had centre Matt Schneck not picked up a knock to his ankle midway through the second quarter.
The game started in a reasonably slow fashion for both teams, although Schneck took all seven points of his during the first quarter; and with a lot of missed opportunities for Newcastle, it kept Cheshire within reach in the first five minutes.
Ultimately this gave them confidence to start making inroads on the side top of the league, with Bill Cole and Adam Brown soon finding themselves stretching out the Jets’ lead. Paul Gause was on hand to deliver five points late on to bring the game to 16-14, but Cole and a heroic buzzer beating lay-up from Keith Page put Cheshire six points ahead at the break.
The momentum rolled on into the early part of the second quarter, pulling out a ten point lead (28-18) when Schneck fell awkwardly onto his ankle under the Eagles’ basket. Jets were looking to make the substitution, but Phil Brandreth’s entrance to the game would be the only change John Lavery would make in the entire game.
Cole grabbed another two points before Joe Chapman and team-mate Andrew Bridge decided to haul the Geordies back into things with Chapman, Bridge before Chapman again hit three after three.
The response from Cheshire was somewhat close to unbelievable, and playing some of their best basketball yet, against a 9-0 run, they went three better, with some incredible team plays.
However, Newcastle were not done yet, an 8-0 run rounded off the quarter, including another buzzer-beater, this one from Chapman way outside of the arc. Although Cheshire had extended their lead in the second period, 42-35, it was fortunate half-time had come around for the Jets to regroup, and Chapman to pause his scoring efforts.
Out for the third quarter, Eagles took the necessary steps early on which would set the tone for the remainder of the night. An 8-0 run put them back into the lead, but the Jets came back with Brown and Cole keeping them marginally ahead.
The problem Cheshire were always going to have against them was the renowned lack of a bench, but undeterred Page again stepped up and helped his team out to 57-51. Newcastle were always on their tails, and a 6-1 run by the visitors late in the quarter set the last ten minutes up for a monumental finish.
Darius Defoe helped his side once again take the lead thanks to his shots from the free throw line, starting off a phase of lead changes. Brandreth staked out a big three pointer, sending the home fans wild, a just reward for a player who is increasing his minutes of late thanks in part to having such a small bench, and the injuries the Jets have.
Bill Cole, who it can be said was putting absolutely everything into his game, took Cheshire’s next seven points. However, for that came the apparent lack of experience in closing out a game, as Eagles drew the fouls, and were beginning to dominate to steal the victory on the night.
Charles Smith, who overtook in this game TJ Walker’s club record of 1252 field goals scored, took the lead for the visitors, and as Newcastle went back to the line over again, it was put out of reach for Cheshire.
A late consolation three by Brown softened the score line to 74-78, but it could not prevent Newcastle’s fifth win of the league campaign, and their best start to any BBL Championship season to date.
After the game, speaking with coach John Lavery, despite knowing his side ran the league leaders hard throughout, he is keen to see slight errors be rectified: “We turned the ball over fifteen times, we got out-rebounded, I wouldn’t say I can’t criticise, but I wouldn’t say that I’m happy.“
He continued: “There are things we need to do out there, simple things that we do week in, week out, that we need to correct, and if we don’t it’s going to be a long season for us.
“We ran them to the end, but in the first half we could have been up by 20 at one stage, but we just have to cut out the stupid silly mistakes. “
Summing up what he hopes to see next time out, he said: “It’s simple; we’ve got to take more care of the ball on court. If they convert the turnovers we gave away, that’s 30 easy points going off two points on average.”
Cheshire Jets – 20, 42, 58, 74
Newcastle Eagles – 14, 35, 57, 78
Jets – Cole (24), Page (19), Brown (17)
Eagles – Chapman (18), Smith (18), Defoe (15)
