A SPARKLING display by Darius Defoe was the highlight for Newcastle Eagles as they stretched their unbeaten league run to eight games last night, writes PAUL NILSEN.
The British Basketball League pacesetters consolidated their leadership with a convincing 94-80 success at Mersey Tigers, a team who were so often a thorn in the side of the Eagles last season and the main architects of an empty trophy cabinet at Sport Central.
Still led by ex-Eagles coach Tony Garbelotto, who masterminded that painful bunch of wins to deny Fab Flournoy last year, it was an entirely different story this time around with Tigers being outclassed from tip to buzzer.
Much of the talk heading into the game had surrounded the impressive work undertaken by Andy Thomson, who completed a switch from Merseyside to Tyneside during the summer, but the forward was prevented from haunting his former team after being forced to rest due to a shoulder problem.
On the face of it, Thomson being side-lined should have caused the Eagles a headache, but with the Tigers now nowhere near the talent levels of their treble-winning team and with Defoe stepping up in the absence of his front-court partner, it was plain sailing all the way.
Defoe poured in 31 points and pulled down 18 rebounds for a phenomenal double-double in one of the most impressive individual performances of the season.
However, he wasn’t the only player to make an impression in a hard-working team performance by the Eagles, perhaps best summed up by the sterling defensive work of Paul Gause and Andrew Bridge, who combined for nine steals.
Having raced into a commanding 27-14 first-quarter lead, the result never looked to be in serious doubt, although Flournoy and his assistant Dave Forrester will have been mindful of Tigers’ last home game when, having looked dead and buried against Cheshire, they fought back for an unlikely win.
But, with the Eagles playing with real defensive intensity and a perceived lack of calls from the referees irking them enough to provide additional motivation, they kept their foot on the pedal and didn’t allow their opponent back into the game.
Cruising 45-31 at the half, the only issue when the Eagles returned to the court was maintaining focus and making sure their recent habit of making life more difficult than it needed to be, didn’t rear its ugly head once again.
The Tigers were far too one-dimensional in their offence and lacked any firepower from three-point range to seriously trouble the visitors, who cantered to victory in cruise control and with plenty still left in the tank.
Only a worrying second-half injury to Gause spoiled the Eagles’ night, with the playmaker having his thigh and hamstring strapped up during the final stages. Flournoy will certainly be hoping it isn’t serious ahead of Friday’s tough match-up at home to Worcester Wolves, and especially with current concerns over Andy Thomson’s shoulder.
TOP SCORERS
MERSEY TIGERS: Aliu 19, Hesson 16, Davis 13, Bailey 13.
NEWCASTLE EAGLES: Defoe 31, Chapman 18, Gause 14.
