BBL Championship

Newcastle Eagles 86 (22,38,58) (Smith 23, Defoe 13, Moore 11)
Glasgow Rocks 74 (8,38,55) (Harrison 21, Livas 20, Copeland 13)

Newcastle Eagles picked up their first victory of their 2010/11 BBL Championship campaign thanks to a hard-fought 86-74 victory over the Glasgow Rocks at Sport Central on Friday night.

The Eagles started very strongly and runs of 10-2 and 11-2 in the first period gave them a convincing 22-8 lead at the end of the opening quarter of basketball.

In the second period however, the visitors found their range early on, and a 16-2 start to the period tied the game up at 24-24. Both sides traded baskets for the remainder of the period with the Rocks just edging themselves in front at 36-38, but a Kadari Richard basket just before the break sent the teams into the locker rooms tied up at 38-38 at the half.

In the second half, the Eagles took the lead early on thanks to a Darius Defoe basket at 40-38 and they did not trail again for the remainder of the game. Despite both teams trading baskets throughout much of the third quarter, it was the home side who led heading into the final stanza 58-55.

In the final quarter, the Rocks tried valiantly to keep themselves close, but the Eagles began to stretch away from their visitors and an 8-2 burst midway through the quarter gave them a 75-65 lead which they were not going to relinquish as they ran out eventual 86-74 winners.

Charles Smith (pictured) led all scorers in the game with 23 points for the Eagles, while EJ Harrison led the scoring for the Rocks with 21 points personal.