Esh Group Eagles Newcastle were handed an unexpected home defeat, as the visiting Cheshire Phoenix thrashed the newly crowned BBL Championship winners 101-78 at the Sport Central on Friday evening.

The visitors started the game red-hot and ran away by double figures already in the fourth minute of the game at 16-6. Although Eagles did manage to make it a single-possession game in the second period, Phoenix finished the half strong to restore a double-digit lead.

The Cheshire club continued their strong play after the break, steadily increasing their lead, as Eagles could not find ways to stop David Aliu, who went on to finish the night with a game-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field.

Taylor King also had a great game for Phoenix, with 27 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to his name. Demond Watt added 13 points and 13 boards.

For Eagles, Stuart Thompson finished with a team-best 23 points, Charles Smith collected 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Andrew Thompson chipped in with 18 points and seven boards in the loss.