Board master Seneca Knight could barely hide his disbelief after bagging the game-changing double double that sealed the deal against Cheshire Phoenix.

Newcastle Eagles’ dynamic forward drilled home 24 points as the men in black avenged last month’s last gasp defeat in the North West.

But Knight was blown away when told he’d hauled down 13 rebounds as the hosts closed out a dramatic 110-101 win down the stretch.

“I had no idea that was happening under the glass,” he admitted, after claiming 12 defensive boards to halt Phoenix in their tracks.

“I love getting in amongst it in the paint but I had no clue it was that many until late on.

“Someone told me I had 16 rebounds at one point! I asked the bench and they just said ‘focus on the game’.

“I said ‘ok, I got you’ but I’m still mind-blown by the double double. It’s crazy!”

Knight loves going about his business in an Eagles jersey after joining Marc Steutel’s men last summer.

And in tandem with fellow free scorer Mike Okauru, the US star hit Cheshire for 51 points on a night when both sides were scoring for fun.

Five of Newcastle’s seven-strong rotation hit double figures to make it three wins in six days — including a midweek victory in Estonia to top the club’s European North Basketball League (ENBL) group.

But Knight is in no mood to take his foot off the gas just yet — with another huge home clash against cross-border rivals Caledonia Gladiators incoming on Friday.

“I like to go into every fixture with the mindset that the next game is the most important,” he added. “You never want to drop one because you never want to be on the back foot and trying to get it together at the business end of the season.”

Fears that a run of four games in eight days would be a stretch too far for depleted Newcastle never materialised thanks to a stunning show of offensive power.

The hosts were missing experienced duo Darius Defoe and Josh Ward-Hibbert against a hungry Phoenix featuring ex-Eagle Larry Austin Jr.

But Steutel’s magnificent seven got the job done at both ends of the court — winning the rebounding battle and seeing off a late Cheshire surge.

“Everybody chipped in,” agreed Knight. “Everybody on this team is a valuable piece and we know once some of the guys get in and get back healthy, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.

“I was very pleased with the way we closed it out. Trey [Pulliam] is a great new addition and having him at the point opens up a lot of things.

“It just gives another ball handler on the floor. So I feel like we’re able to switch between a few of the guards and find different ways to get the job done.”
After a tied first period, Phoenix opened up a two-point lead at the break with Austin Jr growing into an SLB thriller off the bench.

But Pulliam hit 10 points in four minutes at the start of the second half and when Cole Long nailed back-to-back triples Newcastle suddenly led by eight.

“Sometimes we go out and our energy just isn’t there,” admitted Knight. “But we started both halves strongly. We know that if we bring the energy then we’re a great team.”

Steutel’s men took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter but Austin Jr — who fell just three assists short of a triple double — led a resilient fightback.

And it was down to Knight and Okauru to stay focused down the stretch as the duo combined for eight from eight from the bonus stripe in the final 40 seconds.

With Defoe and Ward-Hibbert expected to return for the Gladiators clash, the 2025 Trophy winners look set fair to challenge for further silverware this season.

And Knight added: “Even when they’re not on court those two still lead us. They may not be on the court but they still lead us on the bench, in the huddle, in the time-outs and at half-time.

“They’re great additions to this dynamic group and we can’t wait to have them back out there.”

This Friday the Caledonia Gladiators make the short trip across the border once again for a special game night as a flavour of the MOBO Awards comes to the Vertu Motors Arena ahead of this months ceremony being hosted in Newcastle. Tickets for the tip-off with live performances and DJ sets are available from the box office.