The 2025/26 Newcastle Eagles men’s team tipped off their SLB Championship season with a dramatic and thrilling overtime win over Caledonia Gladiators in Scotland on Sunday. In a high scoring game, it was Newcastle’s defensive stance in the fourth quarter that actually turned the game on its head.

Marc Steutel’s men had been behind for much of the contest until that dramatic last ten-minute period that got them to overtime and then their momentum and sheer hunger to not let the comeback be in vain saw them home.

There will no doubt be plenty of things for Steutel, his coaches and the players to reflect on when they look back at a pulsating game. But it can be viewed a whole lot differently with a win and not a loss against their names.

Undoubted stars of the show for The Eagles were eve of the game signing Maceo Jack and the first player announced to the new roster for this season Marco Anthony. Remarkable contributions considering Jack has hardly had time to acclimate and Anthony has not played at all in pre-season.

There were also excellent double-figure supporting contributions from birthday boy Ray’Sean Taylor, second year Eagle Cole Long and Captain Josh Ward-Hibbert. In reality though all that took to the court in a Newcastle vest played their part in a tough, tough road win.

Gladiators perhaps will look back as to how they lead for so long but let the game slip away but Eagles and Steutel will no doubt point to the fact that in basketball there’s always time for acomeback and one last effort to sway the day and that’s exactly what the visitor’s found.

Eagles started Ward-Hibbert, Taylor, Long, big forward Brett Reed and surprisingly Anthony who clearly had put the work down in practice that impressed Steutel enough to give him the nod despite the lack of pre-season minutes under his belt.

Newcastle made the better start to the game and midway through the first quarter led 14 – 7. Taylor dishing out assists as well as scoring and Anthony and Ward-Hibbert already looking sharp. They were knocked back though by a 9 to 2 home run that levelled the game.

Late on in the period Emmanuel Kanwei came off the bench to net two free throws and give Eagles a four-point advantage but Fraser Malcom beat the buzzer for the hosts from downtown and it was a one-point game going into the second.

A period that saw Caledonia turn the game around. Trailing 28 to 25 they produced a 9-zip run that put them six points ahead. Anthony and Reed stopped the run but Gladiators were in the ascendency at this point and with 3:27 to play got their lead to 11-points.

Long pulled five points back but ex-Leicester Rider Ethan Wright was in the mood and took his new team back to a nine-point lead before Jack’s late triple meant there were six points between the sides with the home team 52 – 46 up heading to the locker rooms.

Caledonia jumped out quickly as the second half unfolded and a 9 to 2 burst had them up 61 to 48 before Ward-Hibbert knocked down two from the charity stripe to stop the run and Anthony scored four more to cut the deficit to single figures.

Anthony and Jack were keeping the Eagles just about a-float at this juncture but Wright and Centre Kevin Allen combined to give Caledonia a strong finish to the period and they took a 13-point gap at 81 to 68 into the final period.

That’s when defensively The Eagles kicked in.Firstly they had a run to cut the gap to 7 but back-to-back triples from Ri’An Holland and Jet Speelman took the lead back to 13-points. But despite being behind by double figures Newcastle were not down and out.

A terrific 10 – 0 run capped off by a Ward-Hibbert triple brought them level with 2:03 remaining and suddenly it was game-on with both sides striving for that play or moment to give them the win. With Gladiators leading by two inside the last minute a Long dunk levelled it at 94-all.

Jack then missed two free throws with 9 ticks left on the clock that may have sealed the deal for Newcastle and then Eagles were indebted to Long who made a brilliant block on Allen as he went for the tip-in with two seconds left that would have given the home side a win.

Overtime it was and Anthony, Jack and Ward-Hibbert combined in a 6 – 2 opening to put Newcastle up by four. It was still tight although Eagles continued to lead. Allen brought The Gladiators back within two and then Anthony hit a deuce and a couple of free throws to help Newcastle to a 109 – 101 lead.

Wright showed defiance with a late, late triple but by then it was too late and Newcastle held on to take a great win that had looked unlikely for long periods in the game. The spirit and determined refusal to give the game up down the stretch giving Steutel’s men enough energy to take their opening win of the new season.