Newcastle Eagles return home to the Vertu Motors Arena tonight for a huge Super League Basketball Championship clash against Cheshire Phoenix. It’s the fifth placed Eagles who have a 7 wins 7 losses league record against the 4th placed Phoenix who have 8 wins and 7 losses.

The Eagles fly into the game on the back of another momentous game in the European North Basketball League. Their 79 – 58 win over Tartu Ulikool in Estonia on Wednesday night was an outstanding solid and professional effort that saw them top the Group A standings.

It meant that they secured a number one seed and will play last season’s ENBL Champions Bakken Bears of Aarhus Denmark in the quarter finals with the first leg in Denmark on March 11th and the second leg back home in Newcastle on March 18th.

“I’m extremely proud of all the team and what they’ve achieved in European competition so far this season”, said Paul Blake, Newcastle Eagles Managing Director.

“We entered the competition last season with no other goal than to see how we would fair against teams from leagues that were perceived to be of a higher level than ours.

“In that first season, we surprised a lot of people with a winning record and qualification into the Quarter Finals.

“So, to now go a step further this season and win our group, is an achievement that deserves some recognition. It’s a first for the club and something for the North East to be proud of.

“Playing in Europe, with the domestic schedule that we have, is extremely tough and it’s great to see us succeeding.

“Our league, the SLB, and its clubs are doing great things here, building venues, growing our fanbase, our commerciality and importantly our impact in the community. We are moving in the right direction and all making forward steps each season.”

That domestic schedule will now dominate head coach Marc Steutel’s thinking as he quickly has to turn his and his players thoughts to tonight’s tough encounter against a Cheshire side that they have played four times this season losing on three occasions.

The last time the two sides clashed was down in Cheshire on the 19th January this year. Phoenix nicking a dramatic late win 106 – 103 with a buzzer beating triple from ex-Kansas Jayhawk Nick Timberlake.

Timberlake is one of several dangermen for Cheshire Phoenix and Steutel reflecting on the victory against Tartu, the MVP performance of Trey Pulliam who had 23 points on the night, the schedule his team have faced and the challenge Cheshire present had this to say.

“The schedule is really difficult and the lads are going to have to dig deep again”, Steutel added.

“Eight days, four games with the travel it’s difficult. Hopefully we get a really good performance.

“It’s not taken for granted but this group is staying together, facing adversity with the schedule and finding a way so hopefully we’ll be able to do that again tonight.

“It’s difficult to join a team mid-season particularly when you’re a point guard and you’ve got a lot of responsibility in terms of your position and the role of the team. He’s getting better each game and I was really pleased with his impact against Tartu.

“For us we have to look at the game against Cheshire and do all that we can to win the game. That’s where we’re at right now. Cheshire are a talented team that play with pace and energy we have to match that and do all we can to beat them.”

Tip-off tonight at the Vertu Motors Arena is at the usual time of 7:30pm, as Newcastle come home once again after a successful trip on the road looking for another morale boosting win.

Limited tickets are still available from the box office.