Basketball can be a game of small margins and if those margins are not in your favour it can make things very difficult. Once again Newcastle Eagles were in a game for much of the forty minutes but were unable to get over the line. It seems that the breaks and calls are not in their favour just now.

A fifth successive defeat in the ENBL has the Eagles rock bottom of the qualifying standings at present as the only club out of 26 in the competition that has not won a game this season. Any chance of now qualifying for the play-offs looks to have gone after this latest setback.

Newcastle would have to win all their remaining three games and then pray for some mathematical miracles to continue their fine record in this prestigious European competition. It though looks highly unlikely that will happen.

Almost as worrying is this result now means it’s six consecutive defeats across three competitions since they beat Cheshire Phoenix in the Trophy semi-final first leg back on January 3. They lost the second leg of that tie but still made it through to the Final still to come in Birmingham on February 1.

It doesn’t get any easier for Head Coach Marc Steutel and his players as they face a travel home on Thursday and then are straight back at it on Friday in the Vertu Arena against domestically dominant London Lions in the SLB Cup quarter-final.

Lions also played and lost in Europe on Wednesday going down to a last second buzzer beater against Ratiopharm Ulm of Germany meaning they are out of the FibaCup with three games still to play. Lions though were at home so get a day’s rest before coming to Newcastle for Friday’s game.

Eagles will look to that tough task as quickly as they can after a loss on Wednesday that really went against them in the final quarter. After coming back from a six-point deficit at the half, Steutel’s side actually took the lead as the final quarter opened.

But an astonishing 21 free-throws awarded with 19 being made by the home team perhaps was the contributing factor in taking the win. The Eagles seeming to do everything within their control and power to reverse the result but once again those ‘small margins’ reared their head.

Eagles only led twice in the game. A Cole Long triple their first points of the game giving them a 3-2 lead before Riga ripped off 11 unanswered points to establish a modicum of control. Terrell Burden netted a two and a triple and Manny Kanwei a free-throw and a deuce to bring the Eagles back.

But the first six free-throws made by Riga out of the 31 from 37 they scored pushed them back up by nine until Ray’Sean Taylor stopped the run with a traditional triple. It meant thought that the hosts took the first quarter by 21-16.

A 10-2 start to the second including four more efforts from the charity stripe and a Steutel technical gave Riga their biggest lead during the game at 13-points. Once again though Newcastle dug in deep. Another Long triple and a pair of twos from both Maceo Jack and Manny Kanwei ensued.

It meant an 11-2 response from the Eagles that got them back to within four points. Nip and tuck for the rest of the period although it was the Latvians that edged the ten-minute stretch by a single point to take a six-point advantage at half-time.

Eagles had their best quarter as the second half opened. It was pretty even for most of the period with Riga just about staying front but Newcastle made a run as the third ended.

Mitch Clarke netting a deuce and a triple and Jack adding a free-throw as they scored six points to end the quarter and then Deion Hammond hit a triple on the opening play of the final period to actually put Newcastle in front by two at 61-59.

Riga returned to the line to net six more free-throws that reestablished their lead. Long stopping the run with a two of his own and then the ENBL’s top scorer Freddie Fidler took over for the home side as he dropped in four more efforts from the line. Gus Okafor answering with a triple.

That got Newcastle back to within one but they just couldn’t quite get the break they wanted as every time they asked Riga the question the home side found an answer. Up five they were hit by another Long triple that cut the gap to two.

But Fidler who went 13 of 13 from the line during the frantic final period also netted a triple on as he kept his side in front. With the lead at nine after three more Fidler visits to the charity stripe. Jack replied with two of his own. Long then tripled again as did Clarke.

It meant Eagles were only down by three inside the last minute. But a final 7-2 run capped off by another two free-throws by Fidler and time expired with Eagles unable to control the ending of the game and slipping to another tough loss.

Cole Long was Eagles MVP with 25-points and 4 rebounds and there was good support from Maceo Jack, Manny Kanwei, Terrell Burden and Mitch Clarke who were all in double-figures for the Eagles.

Fidler’s 13 from 13 from the line helping him to 24 points in reply to lead his side in scoring and keeping his ENBL average intact. He was helped by five teammates also netting double-digit contributions to give a solid all-round effort for the hosts.

So, once again the Eagles have to lick their wounds, somehow find time to reassess and recover before looking to continue their hunt for silverware this season with that vital Cup clash at home against London Lions on Friday night.