Recap

NEWCASTLE EAGLES II 70 VS LEEDS LDM 89

Q1 Newcastle Eagles II 23 vs Leeds LDM 15

Leeds LDM arrived without a loss to their name, but it was the Eagles who started on the front foot. The hustle, aggressive press and tireless work rate on defence from the off, set the tone for the quarter and the high tempo suited us as we played with a determination and composure that was infectious. The 5 on 5 off rule usually halts all momentum, but here it was seamless, with the same intensity and work rate applied immediately by the new 5 and the tempo maintained to take us to the break with a 9 point lead.

Q2 Newcastle Eagles II 43 vs Leeds LDM 35

Leeds started this quarter brighter than the first and caught out the Eagles with some strong direct running to the basket which resulted in some uncontested lay ups or trips to the free throw line. The Eagles didn’t panic though and applied the same determination and effort as the first quarter, working hard for each other, making good decisions and mixing up the play to spread the scoring across 7 players and retain a lead of 8 points at half time.

Q3 Newcastle Eagles II 48 vs Leeds LDM 62

Leeds, clearly unhappy with their first 2 quarters, turned it up a notch in terms of intensity and physicality. They pressed harder and higher, forcing numerous turnovers from a Newcastle side unrecognisable from the first half that failed to gain any foothold in the quarter and struggled to put together any passages of play. Taking full advantage of their dominance, Leeds restricted the Eagles to just 6 points whilst scoring 27 to turn the game on its head.

Q4 Newcastle Eagles II 70 vs Leeds LDM 89

Having begun to bubble over in the 3rd quarter with Leeds flexing their muscles and Newcastle trying to get back into the game, the 4th was a feisty encounter with some robust play and 2 ejections for the Leeds players. Ultimately though they were smart enough to manage the game to its conclusion withstanding a late rally from the Eagles which brought some additional points but was never going to threaten the result. An excellent first half where we took the game to the opposition and worked so hard for each other. The team wanted it, and you could tell. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep the momentum through every quarter and a savvy Leeds team got under our skins in the 3rd and 4th quarters, and ruthlessly exposed our troubles in the 3rd.

CONTRIBUTION:

A team effort today. It was tough at times both mentally and physically, but aside a sloppy 3rd period, we played some good stuff, worked hard, and demonstrated how good and together we can be as a team, when we’re all on the same page.