London Lions lead the SLB Championship standings. They are also red-hot favourites to take all four National competitions on offer in the 2025/26 season. On Friday night the Newcastle Eagles found out exactly why with the Lions putting on a capital show of strength and power.

In doing so they restricted the Eagles to the lowest ever recorded points total by any side at the Vertu Arena. It has been well documented since last weekend that these two sides will meet in the SLB Trophy at the Utilita Arena Birmingham in February and this was a dress rehearsal.

On the evidence of this showing it’s the Eagles who need to find more answers and ways to break down a strong physical London side who played tough, tough defence throughout the 40 minutes. Newcastle unable to come up with the right offensive shot selection and quality throughout.

It’s not just that Trophy Final either where London stand in the way of the Eagles potential route to silverware this season. In two weeks’ time the Lions return to the Vertu Arena for a SLB Cup quarter-final. That will be another tough challenge for Newcastle to take on.

On Friday though that shot selection from Newcastle added to Lions defence and power at both ends of the floor led to statistics that will make brutal reading and assessment for Head Coach Marc Steutel and his coaching staff as well as the players.

Eagles were outrebounded massively, out scored and out shot all game in all categories as Lions dominated pretty much from the first tip to the final buzzer. If there was a consolation and positive to take it was that Newcastle’s players never gave up forced 16 turnovers and held Lions to 76 points.

Defensively it was a solid effort but with their offensive scoring problems one end of basketball was never going to be enough. It started from the get-go. The visitors off to an 8-0 start with Newcastle only scoring two points inside the first six minutes of the game.

Their defensive efforts did mean that Lions didn’t roar away from them and Cole Long and Terrell Burden did score late in the first period. But it was still London who held sway and established control taking the opening ten minutes 18-10.

Newcastle had their best period early in the second bringing the game back to within four points on a couple of occasions and just failing to close the gap even closer. But at 20-24 down they were hit by the first significant Lions run. A 13-0 burst saw a 17-point lead established. It looked ominous.

So it proved. Despite Long hitting Newcastle’s only triple of the first half London through influential point guard Shavar Reynolds Jr. and the power scoring inside took a commanding 41-26 lead into the half-time locker rooms.

Newcastle needed to hit back quickly and hard in the third period if they were to have any chance of an unlikely comeback. It was not to be. Lions seemingly putting a lid on their basket to keep the Eagles out and then producing another unanswered run of 15-points to take their lead to 37-63.

The first five points of the final period gave London their biggest lead of the night at 31-points and there, as had been evident early simply no way back for Steutel’s charges as they fell to a very disappointing and heavy home defeat.

The Eagles had the scant consolation of having a level final period at 13-13 but it was a very small crumb of comfort indeed. Now Steutel needs a reaction to this game and quickly as well.

Newcastle have less than 48 hours to recover before once again they face Cheshire down at the Ellesmere Port Sporting Village on Sunday evening in Championship action. Both sides know an awful lot about each other after last weekend and Phoenix will no doubt be thirsting for revenge.

For the Eagles it is game where they will hope to continue their good results and form against their opponents and get back to winning ways to keep them in touch with the Championship play-off positions.