Eagles are the champs again
Apr 11 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
NEWCASTLE Eagles became the first team in 15 years to retain the British Basketball League championship with victory win over the Scottish Rocks last night.
In the first half of the season, it looked as though the Rocks might pose a serious threat to Newcastle’s titles hopes, inflicting their biggest defeat of the season at Kelvin Hall in November.
But an injury to shooting guard Blake Shelton put paid to that, and by the time they ventured south to Newcastle Arena last night, they had well and truly run out of steam. The Eagles, by contrast, have got better as the campaign progressed. Last night’s was their 16th consecutive win, giving them an opportunity to equal the club record at Everton tomorrow. Even without their star player, Lynard Stewart, for much of 2009 they have never looked like being caught.
Last night’s game mirrored both sides’ campaigns – the Rocks well in the hunt for the first half before their hosts showed their class and pulled serenely away. The confidence of the teams was reflected in their willingness to shoot from distance.
Veteran Charles Smith almost seemed reluctant to get too involved the hurly-burly around the basket and landed nine of his 15 points from behind the three-point line.
Trey Moore claimed five maximums as the Eagles converted 13 of their 28 long-range efforts. By contrast, the Rocks chanced their arms only 13 times, hitting six.
The night had started well enough, Moore and Fabulous Flournoy receiving their trophies as player and coach respectively of a 100% month.
The Rocks, though, were not so accommodating, opening the scoring through Randy George and staying neck-and-neck in the early stages. Perhaps they were aware of the magnitude of the task facing them or just feeling their way into the game, but the Eagles were looking rusty within sight of the ring until Moore’s three-pointer put them 12-8 up.
For a spell late in the first period, the scoring was almost exclusively in threes, George’s effort the only exception amid long-rangers from Moore, Marc Pratt, Andrew Bridge and Gareth Murray.
The second started with a similar burst as the Eagles’ 23-18 interval lead became 29-23. Their greater willingness to chance their arms from distance saw Moore (twice), Reggie Jackson and Charles Smith all hit three-pointers in the period – but the highlight was perhaps the steal from Andrew Bridge which stopped Rob Yanders finding the basket during a spell of Rocks domination. Smith and Moore’s maximums were the only home points in a rocky spell when the Scots racked up 14 just as Newcastle were threatening to run away with the game. Having led by 12 early in the period, the Eagles ended up losing it, going into half-time with a slender 43-39 advantage.
Toney’s slam-dunk late in the third had the bench on his feet but did not seem to do him much good. He missed the extras that followed and a free throw before rediscovering his range with the second attempt. That opened up a 63-49 lead before Yanders brought up his side’s half-century and added a two-pointer to close the gap to 10 as the teams went in for a third break. An 11-point stretch featuring threes from Moore and Bridge ensured there would be no nasty twist in the tale.
The party broke out 40 seconds before the final hooter, Flournoy taking the chance to show that the club’s future is as bright as its present by giving his kids a run-out. By then the side were 86-70 in front and the part had well and truly started. With the play-offs still to come, they will be hoping it has not finished yet.
TOP SCORERS: Moore 23, Smith, Jackson 15, Bridge 14, Toney 12.
