Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles head coach Marc Steutel is hoping to cap off a hectic week of travel in perfect fashion when his side take on the Plymouth Patriots on Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this week, the Eagles travelled across to Latvia to take on Valmiera Glass VIA in the European North Basketball League (ENBL) coming off the back of a tough defeat to Leicester Riders.
The men in black returned to winning ways, claiming a 90-74 win over their Latvian opponents, before returning home for their Friday night clash against the Manchester Giants at the Vertu Motors Arena.
And the Eagles made it two wins from two on Friday in a British Basketball League contest they won 97-85 in impressive fashion.
Sunday sees them head into the contest against a Plymouth Patriots side who sit bottom of the Championship table.
And following their victory over Manchester, which Steutel called a “good win”, the Eagles head coach is expecting a tough test nonetheless from Plymouth despite their league standing.
“It was a good win cemented with a very good 2nd half defensive performance,” Steutel said of the Eagles’ win against the Giants.
“We need to keep building our defence and ensuring it’s better each day.
“We want to win every game we play in. We are a competitive group of players and we know we are in a difficult run of games but we just have to find a way to be our best selves.
“Plymouth is always one of the most challenging environments to play in. Not only the travel – but the arena.
“They will be full of confidence after their last home win. They have added some real rebounding presence with some skilled guards. We have to control these areas of the game to get the win.”
Playing in Europe this term in the ENBL is as exciting as it is challenging for the Eagles, with the added travel giving Steutel and co something different to consider each time they compete in the ENBL.
However, despite the challenges, the Eagles coach also admits that he and his team are relishing the chance to test themselves in a different environment regularly.
“The travel to Europe is a part of what we have all signed up for this season,” Steutel said.
“It adds a different dimension to the squad and of course there is a physical element to it but we also gain significantly from experiencing different basketball situations and styles of play.”
Fans can watch the full game live on the British Basketball League’s YouTube channel.
