Sometimes when adversity stands in front of you, you have to just smack it in the face and march on through it. Not always easy to do but when you do it is doubly satisfying. Such was the circumstance and rewards that Newcastle Eagles got for facing and conquering adversity.

With seven fit players going against a full stacked roster on the other side, the Eagles showing unselfish togetherness, determination, and cohesive chemistry to take down the second placed team in the SLB Championship by 108-97.

In doing so they made it back-to-back victories at the Vertu Arena following the 99-72 win before the international window against Surrey 89ers. No doubt Head Coach Marc Steutel will be reminding his side of false dawns, but this was a hugely convincing and telling win.

A win that also tied the league series between the two sides at two wins apiece and a win that should take them into another big game at Bristol on Sunday afternoon high in confidence and flowing with adrenaline.

The Eagles’ started aggressively and flying, had a little blip but came back strongly in the second half to close out what in the end was a great win. A deserved effort for the grit and determination they showed to claw their way back from second period adversity and turn things around.

Without the injured Darius Defoe, Sauver Kande, Terrell Burden and Josh Ward-Hibbert the magnificent seven still standing had enough weapons to fire at the Phoenix making absolute clear that they wouldn’t let their opposition rise from the ashes.

Of the seven players that saw court time, six were in double figures including all the starting five with ex-Cheshire hot-shot Maceo Jack leading the way with 27 points. ‘The History Maker,’ Ray’Sean Taylor may not have hit 51 points this week but still weighed in with 21 in support.

Captain in the absence of Defoe, Cole Long, a day after his 29th birthday gave himself a belated present with 17 points that matched gritty Aussie guard Mitch Clarke. Gus Okafor with 13 and Deion Hammond with 11 completing the double-digit scorers.

It was all a little too much depth and firepower for the Phoenix to defend as Newcastle paid no respect to the sides’ league positioning. The fact of the matter being that the Eagles were able to show, London Lions apart perhaps, how competitive and tough the SLB is.

On the back of three triples from Hammond and scoring support all around him the Eagles flew out of the starting blocks in the first period and established an impressive 24-8 start to rock Cheshire. The visitors to their credit did not fold and managed a 15-2 reply in the remainder of the quarter.

It meant Newcastle holding a slender 3-point lead going into the second quarter. A lead that was short lived as Matthew Zona and Patrick Robinson from the bench inspired their teammates into turning the game around in some style.

A massive 34-24 ten-minute stretch for Cheshire saw them take a nice cushion of seven points at 57-50 as both teams headed for the locker rooms with Newcastle seemingly with more questions to answer and riddles to solve.

But solve them they did with a scintillating second twenty minutes that showed the quality and ability Steutel has at his fingertips. The Eagles coming back really well in the third period to trail by only a single point after three pulsating quarters of top-flight basketball.

It was then that Newcastle turned the screw. Their defence tightened and sparked confidence in a free-flowing offence as then levelled the contest and then flew away from their startled opponents in an exceptionally satisfying and dominating final period that saw them through to a huge win.

Perhaps it is a strange fact that despite conceding 97 points in the game it was their defence that gave Newcastle the opportunity to spring forward in such a decisive fashion in the second twenty minutes of the contest.

Of those 97 points, only 40 were allowed by Newcastle in the final two quarters whilst they poured in 58 of their own. It was the platform needed to wrestle control away from the visitors and turn the game into a celebratory one for all of an Eagles persuasion.

Now the question on everyone’s lips is can Newcastle take this newly formed confidence and certain strength against adversity into another tough test on another double-header weekend. Bristol the destination as the Flyers await on Sunday afternoon.

Only time will tell in answer to that question as the magnificent seven look to rise and ride again looking to build on the back of two fine performances and wins in a row. A repeat in Bristol would surely kick-start the possibility of a winning run to take the Eagles flying up the standings.