Newcastle Eagles saw their 100% start to the Women’s SLB Championship well and truly shattered as they conceded top spot in the league standings to Caledonia. It was always going to be a tough ask for Head Coach Chloe Gaynor’s players who once again had to play short-handed.

The real blow to the Eagles was that leading scorer and rebounder Andrea Daley, the WLSB Player of the Month that has been lighting up the league was the latest player to suffer the Newcastle injury jinx.

Sarah Wells was back in the line-up and available from the bench but there was only one other in Sarah Birkett available to Coach Gaynor. It meant a heavier than usual workload for some of the players and by the end of the contest that showed.

Credit though must go to all seven of the Eagles that took to the court. Against one of the more favoured sides in the league they never took a backward step in the forty minutes and battled hard right to the end.

But with a full roster to run Gladiators were able to rest players throughout and then bring them back when needed fresh and revived to run hard against a tiring Eagles side. The final 115-70 score line perhaps a fair reflection of the game as the home side dominated in every category.

They had the game’s two top performers in terms of ex-Eagle forward Tierra Hodges who torched her old side for 28 points adding in nine rebounds and guard Ana Warren who hit five of eleven from downtown to help her to 21 points. Ella Doherty also coming off the bench well with 16 points.

But the real hard-line stats were the team comparisons. Gladiator had 52 rebounds, an astonishing 40 assists of which Mathilde Domenger had fifteen. They also had 14 steals and only turned the ball over 12 times as they really showed great team chemistry.

For Newcastle it was a constant battle to try and make inroads. They had 32 rebounds, only 10 assists with 18 turnovers and 4 steals. Numbers that show how much the Gladiators dominated the game and how hard it was for Newcastle without Daley and Jada Dapaa.

Eagles did have five of their seven in double figures lead by captain Zoe Willis who had 16 points and 8 rebounds to lead her team courageously and with great fighting determination. Shanique Lucas had a solid game with 15 points and 8 rebounds but her 7 turnovers were also crucial.

Maria Mongomo with 12 points and Alyssa Marin with 11 were below their normal contributions for the season but no blame can be attached. With Daley out the Gladiators homed in defensively on both and made it a difficult afternoon for them.

A positive for Coach Gaynor and Newcastle as well as a personal positive was the minutes that the returning Sarah Wells got under her belt after a long lay-off 10 points and 5 rebounds in 24 minutes shows what she can bring to the Eagles when she’s fully back to match fitness.

Not surprisingly against such odds, Newcastle lost all four quarters in the game. They did have the lead once very early in the first period when Willis put them 2-1 in front but after that Hodges in particular went to work and gradually the Eagles were worn down and had no answers.

Newcastle now don’t play again until they host Oakland Wolves on Saturday January 3, 2026, at 7:30pm, with tickets still available from the box office.

The Eagles are now in a three-way tie at the top of the standings on five wins and one loss alongside Caledonia and Essex Rebels.

Coach Gaynor will no doubt be hoping to have some of her injured personal back for that game as her players and she take a well-earned festive break.