It’s difficult to comprehend what was ultimately a crazy game of basketball. Statistics only telling part of the story. Eagles were outrebounded 49-33. They only went to the foul line 23 times making 18 of those free-throws whilst Spartak went 45 times and made 34 of their attempts.

Newcastle also won three of the four quarters played by a huge, combined margin of 27 points including taking the second 20-minutes in the second half by 60-38. But numbers are just numbers and are there for coaches and analysts to pick apart.

At the final buzzer though there’s only one stat. that matters or counts. The final score and that went in favour, only just, of the Bulgarian outfit who condemned the Eagles to their fourth defeat of this seasons ENBL campaign. Qualification for the play-off stages now looks a long way off.

Indeed, before the game Head Coach Marc Steutel was calling it a ‘must-win.’ That Eagles didn’t manage to answer their sideline leader’s words has now put them in a very difficult position. They still have four games to play in qualifying but even winning those four games might not be enough.

So, where did it go wrong? Well, it’s easy to look at the stats sheet and dissect a terrible first quarter for Newcastle. The expression ‘still on the bus’ or perhaps even plane might be applied as Pleven shot out of the blocks and had 21-points on the board before the Eagles opened their account.

It got even worse as the first ten minutes unfolded and ticked down. So much so that Pleven took a remarkable period by 38-7 with Jalen Mccloud the ex-Bristol Flyer and USA point guard leading the way ably supported by home-grown Martin Sotirov.

Steutel’s men had been caught cold and another expression came to mind in that ‘no team can win a game in the first quarter but a team can lose one.’ Considering what happened after the opening ten minutes perhaps that’s the one that ran true.

No doubt Steutel and his coaching staff will sit down with the player’s and go through that opening ten minutes and try to make some sense of it all. But for now, they can only lick their wounds, of which there are many, re-group and somehow be ready to go in 48 hours against Leicester Riders at home.

They have to draw inspiration from the effort, determination and grit they showed to almost climb out of the deep, deep, deep hole they dug for themselves in the early stages. They almost produced a comeback for the ages but unfortunately the almost is the biggest word.

Even a decent second quarter were they showed character and seeds of recovery to take it 24-19 still meant that they went to the half-time locker room down 57-31 with the final two quarters left to play. It looked like an impossible task but this resilient Eagles side were determined to go down fighting.

They cranked up their defence in an excellent third period where Deion Hammond got really hot and knocked down four of is six game triples. New point guard Terrell Burden also came to the party after that disastrous first quarter.

His performance after only a couple of days with his new teammates was very promising indeed. He had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in just under 23 minutes played to lead is side in two categories whilst tying with Cole Long for leading Eagles rebounder.

These two were the main catalysts along with Ray’Sean Taylor and Long himself as Newcastle produced a storming third period capped by a Darius Defoe triple at the buzzer to cut the gap to 68-57 to give themselves a glimmer of a chance.

There then followed an astonishing final period which time-wise seemed never ending. Eagles continuing to push and push and getting the gap down to single digits on more than one occasion. But every time they did Mccloud or Sotirov added and abetted by Noel Brown had an answer.

Multiple visits to the charity stripe benefitted the home side greatly. This increased and increased as Eagles had to foul to slow down the clock and their hosts just about held their nerve to get the job done despite late triples from Maceo Jack and Burden.

Perhaps the final cliché to roll out is ‘too little too late’ but the overall disappointment will be when looking at that first period where Pleven got away to such a dream start that put Steutel’s side not so much on the back foot but their back feet.

Once Eagles settled they were the better team and dominated the final thirty minutes but, perhaps, the damage had already been done and the mountain they gave themselves to climb was just that little bit too steep.