After the disappointment of a tough close loss to Liverpool last Sunday the Newcastle Eagles bounced back in some style on Friday night on the road at Leicester. A thoroughly professional solid all-round team performance earning them an excellent 21-point away win.

Once again for Newcastle there was no Kyle Carey and no Cam Christon. But their ‘next man up’ mentality was massively evident as their competitive togetherness and sharing of the load meant that absences were covered and then some.

Eight Eagles took to the floor ig the game. By the end of the forty minutes six of that eight were double-figure scorers with the other two not far away either. Newcastle establishing their defensive standards and power in the first quarter and using it as a platform to launch their offence.

The old adage of the less you concede the less you have to score to win seems to be the DNA that Head Coach Marc Steutel is looking for this season. On the evidence of what has occurred to date he may just have found the personnel this campaign to instil those attributes into reality.

That and a good sense of following and adhering to the scout has seen Steutel’s side raise their record to 5-wins and 3 losses and two of those losses were by the narrow margin of three points. An impressive collection of individuals coming together more and more as a team as time passes.

Equally impressive was their relentlessness on offence as well as defence. The Eagles shot the ball well all night and that saw them soar past the century of points netted on the road to confirm a well-deserved and convincing twenty-one-point victory by the end of the contest.

Leicester scored the first points of the game and in a tight opening actually led 9 to 8. But Sauver Kande promoted to the starting five for the first time this season nailed a triple to give Eagles an 11 – 9 lead and thereafter they were never behind again.

Trevond Barnes was introduced from the bench and quickly found his rhythm to net nine points personal and when Captain Josh Ward-Hibbert netted the final bucket of the first period Newcastle had flown into a nine-point advantage at 26 – 17 at the end of the first.

Indeed, when Tavis Smith netted a deuce in the second period to give Eagles a 13-point lead they briefly threatened to run away with things. Riders though hit back with a 7 – 0 run to get back to within six and Steutel called a time-out.

Top scorer Smith and Ward-Hibbert both struck coming out of the tactical talk and the double-digit lead was restored and from their Steutel’s side kept Leicester at arms-length to shade the second by a point and take a ten-point lead at 48 to 38 into the half-time locker rooms.

The third showed Eagles true grit and determination. It felt like every time Leicester threw a punch that landed Newcastle countered with two or more of their own to retain control of the contest at all times.

Leicester coming within six points at 45 to 51 only to be repelled again with Cole Long hitting back-to-back triples and Blondeau Tchoukuiegno a two and Newcastle led by 14. Riders briefly rallied but Mitch Clarke and Barnes combined to crush Riders again putting Eagles up 71 to 54.

Riders did net the last four points of the quarter, but a 3-point ten-minute period win meant that Eagles took a healthy 13-point gap into the final ten minutes where once again they did not let Leicester get too close.

When Riders closed to within eight points Eagles answered with a 7 – 0 run to go back up by 15. Then as time ticked down a 9 – 0 burst started and finished by Ward-Hibbert triples really sealed the deal inside the last two minutes with the lead peaking at 22-points.

The final quarter being taken by 30 to 22 meant Eagles had swept all four periods and despite being supposedly short-handed against a full Leicester roster looked the fresher at the final buzzer. A buzzer that meant a great start to another double-header weekend.

Tavis Smith led the Eagles with 19 points adding in 5 assists and terrific on-ball defence that also saw him grab 5 steals. From the bench Trevond Barnes had 16 points and 5 rebounds, Josh Ward-Hibbert 15 and Mitch Clarke 13.

Cole Long had an excellent all-round game with 7 rebounds and 4 assists added to his 13 points and point guard Blondeau Tchoukuiegno 11 points and 5 assists. The contribution of Adam Hamilton with 8 points and 4 rebounds and Sauver Kande with 6 points solid support as well.

So, part one of a double weekend completed in fine style. Part two comes on Sunday afternoon up in Scotland against a Caledonia Gladiators side that Newcastle defeated 91 – 67 earlier this season at home.

Since then, the Gladiators have added to their roster and won two games impressively against Sheffield and Manchester, so Eagles know they have a difficult task on their hands. Especially as Caledonia only play once this weekend and do not have to travel.

Tomorrow’s tip-off is available to watch live and free on DAZN.