Memory of defeat spurs on Babalola

May 2 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

OLU Babalola has promised the Newcastle Eagles will use the memory of their biggest disappointment of the season as motivation in this weekend’s British Basketball League play-offs.

The league champions have been paired with Milton Keynes Lions in tomorrow’s semi-finals with the winner facing Guildford Heat or Plymouth Raiders the next day. It promises to be a lively encounter due to the fractious relationship between the sides since their last meeting at Birmingham’s Indoor Arena, for January’s BBL Cup final.

Having become accustomed to collecting major silverware, the Eagles were deflated by their 69-66 defeat but the manner of it and events since have rubbed salt into their wounds.

Newcastle were unhappy with what they saw as the Lions’ over-physical approach and their less-than-gracious post-match behaviour. But it was MK’s perfectly natural and acceptable celebrations as they lifted the trophy a seething Babalola logged in his memory.

“Every time you lose hurts,” said the 26-year-old Londoner. “We have a big reason to play hard against Milton Keynes. They knocked us out last time and it’s just the way they play and how aggressive they are. We want to beat them on Saturday and then worry about the final.

“We have won the league and the best thing we can do to prove a point is win on Saturday, win on Sunday and travel back to Newcastle with a trophy.”

When asked what in particular the Lions had done to rile him, the forward replied: “It was the way they did it – the way they played, the way they didn’t want to shake our hands afterwards.

“But we knew we would see them again and just figured we would take it out on them then. What better way to get revenge than to knock them out of the play-offs and get to the final?

“I wouldn’t say they were disrespectful but any time you’re in that situation you tend to get angry a lot easier. They were celebrating after they won and they should be but we were looking at them.

“It’s not that they did anything wrong, it was just hard to look at. We wanted to keep that so on Saturday it will be in the back of our minds. If you’ve won a lot of trophies, when you do lose it hurts a lot more because you’re not used to it. You have to keep that feeling in your mind.”

The Eagles were also beaten in this season’s Trophy final to Guildford, meaning they have lost more finals this term than in the rest of player-coach Fabulous Flournoy’s seven-year tenure.

While Babalola admits he is motivated as much by wanting to avoid defeat as tasting victory, he is phlegmatic about the losses.

“Whether I’m here or anybody leaves, we’re still going to play,” he said. “We’re lucky we lost these games early in the season. That’s why team sports are the best because the unity means if you lose on Sunday, on Monday you still have to come in and practice. You move on.”

Since moving to Tyneside from the Swedish league in January 2006, the BBL Cup is the only major honour to have eluded Babalola. Victory tomorrow will see him play in a third consecutive Play-Off final having been voted the Most Valuable Player in his last.

The Eagles are chasing a fourth consecutive Play-Off success in the thrilling Finals Weekend climax.