Newcastle Eagles produced a sensational signature statement performance on the road in Manchester on Sunday night highlighting the talent and firepower they have within their ranks in emphatic style.

If this 86-62 win does not make the rest of the League sit up and take notice of a team that is still yet to play a single game with a full roster this season, then nothing will. Still missing influential guard Alyssa Marin and improving back-up Alex Campbell they still produced the goods superbly.

Shanique Lucas was back on the roster but under supervisory restricted minutes following her recent injury. It meant USA forward Andrea Daley once again starting from the point. And once again the SLB’s leading scorer and rebounder was up to the task.

Another massive double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds merely added to her already impressive set of statistics. Throw in 6 assists as well and it was another polished performance from a player setting the SLB alight at the moment.

Not that she was alone. Maria Mongomo had another fine game adding 6 rebounds to an impressive 23 points that included 4 triples. Lucas even in limited minutes showed her worth with 11 points 5 assists and 4 steals. Sarah Wells was also in double figures with 10 points.

Captain Jada Dapaa also weighed in with a very solid performance. Only one point away from a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds as she continues to get stronger following a long lay-off. New signing Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby also contributing an important 7-point 5 rebound effort.

These Eagles women just seem to be able to adjust to whatever situation or adversity that is thrown at them and continue to impress and make progress at every turn. Remember this is a Manchester side that was good enough last weekend to make it through to the SLB Cup Final.

That is the measure of this Newcastle performance. Togetherness with committed defensive fortitude that they are able to turn into devasting offence and a belief and confidence in their execution of their plans.

And yet the final scoreline probably doesn’t do justice of how tough a game this was and how well the Eagles played at crucial junctures of it when Manchester threatened to turn the game around. Head Coach Chloe Gaynor’s side were relentless and, in the end, just wore their hosts down.

Mongomo tripled to get the Eagles and the scoreboard moving in the first period. Daley got into her considerable stride early and Newcastle looked settled. It was however close with the lead switching in the initial stages.

That’s when the Eagles made their first big run. An 11-2 burst including two triples from Daley and one from Wells taking a tied game into Newcastle’s favour and although Manchester hit back the Eagles led by five at 18-23 after one.

Five became seven as the second period opened but Manchester were still in there fighting although every time, they asked a question of the visitors it seemed as if Mongomo and Daley in particular had an answer.

Eagles ended the quarter and the half with a 12-4 run that gave them their second successive five-point period and a ten-point cushion at 43-33 to take into the locker rooms at half-time. A good solid all-round team effort to that point.

Gaynor and her players would have expected a Manchester backlash and extra effort in the third and knew it would be about how they coped with it. That’s exactly what they got as on two occasions the hosts got back to within three points.

But Newcastle held their nerve and continued to find ways to keep themselves in front. Ending the period once again with control as Dapaa hit another triple to push the lead to nine points as they planned for the final ten-minute countdown.

That gap remained the as the final stanza progressed until with the score at 68-57 in Newcastle’s favour the Eagles went on a 10-0 run that took their lead to 21-points and effectively became the straw that broke the camel’s back and kill the game off.

From there the Eagles didn’t let up one iota. Daley and Mongomo continued to dominate and their teammates rallied around them as they eased further away until when the final buzzer sounded, they had established their biggest lead of the night with the final score line.

Gaynor will not let her players get carried away. It was an excellent performance and a significant win to take into what will be a break from playing due to the international windows coming up. But everyone is aware that one win does not make a guarantee of success.

Hard work, developing their own identity and staying together though does. On the evidence of how this Newcastle side continues to punch adversity square on the nose there’s lots of reasons to feel excited for the rest of the season.