Recap
Eagles take a convincing win against the Sharks
The Eagles soared today in an impressive victory over Sheffield Sharks at the All Saints Sports Centre. The game opened with both teams trading baskets in what was a sloppy first quarter though by the end of the first the Eagles switch to a more intense defensive look – and the addition of Rizza to the action – meant the tide began to turn in their favour, ending the quarter up one, 16-17.
In the second Coach George’s young team began to turn the screw on Sheffield pressing them full court and producing easy opportunities for Linsley and Riley to show their scoring prowess. As the quarter was coming to a close the Eagles dealt a killer blow to the Sharks behind their aggressive defence by finishing out the half on a 15-0 run in the last two and a half minutes, leaving the Eagles leading by 18 at the half 30-48.
The beginning of the third saw the Eagles continue the onslaught behind a predatory defence which forced turnovers again and again. This intensity combined with Evbuomwan getting involved with the scoring to complement Riley and Linsley’s continued excellence. The Eagles easily pulled away to a 40-75 lead at the end of the third, though this quarter wasn’t without incidence as the home side became visibly frustrated leading to a couple of unsportsmanlike fouls and a technical against the Sharks.
The Eagles cruised in the fourth taking their foot off of the accelerator while still increasing the lead by 10 behind 12, 4th quarter points from Dan Ridley. The game ending 55-100 in favour of the Eagles. Captain Linsley leading the Eagles from the front with 41 points and stellar defence throughout, alongside an incredible overall team effort.
Coach Calvin George said after the win “all round good performance today, the team really showed all the progress we have made over the last few weeks. With two tough games ahead and a weekend to prepare we have a lot of work to do.”
