Recap
After a dramatic weekend away in Sheffield, the U14 Newcastle Eagles were at home against one of the toughest opponents in the league, Manchester Magic.
Initially the Eagles kept up with the firepower of Manchester and managed to take advantage of some easy transition points however common mistakes meant that Manchester would also score easily on the inside as the 2nd part of the first quarter took place. The first quarter ended 18-28 to Manchester.
The second quarter would be where the home side really struggled due to some easy mistakes and Manchester would make sure they would punish them for it. The home side struggled to work for the best shot and it showed, only scoring 8 points in 10 minutes of basketball.
The Eagles came out the second half on a run, and it really did look like a comeback was on. The Eagles broke down Manchester’s half court D with some fantastic opportunities for multiple players to score but also stopped the opposition scoring over a 4 minute period. The last few minutes Manchester took control back as their lead went back to 21 points to finish the quarter.
As the Eagles trailed big going into the last quarter, Manchester continued to pile on the pressure. Foul trouble for the home side meant that the away side could score on easy opportunities, and they did, and the Eagles struggled to break down their defence. The game finished 63-88.