Christian James has pledged to keep putting in the work that underpinned a spectacular 32-point haul against London Lions.

And the in-form American promised Newcastle Eagles will return energised and refocused ahead of Sunday afternoon’s vital Championship clash in Manchester.

James’ game high haul proved bittersweet as London avenged a tight loss on Tyneside earlier this month to close out a deserved 91-80 win on Friday.

But the Super League Basketball rookie’s offensive masterclass provided a packed full house with cause for optimism as yet another Eagle stepped up to carry the scoring load.

“What you saw out there was testimony to all of the hard work that people don’t see,” said James, who added five rebounds and three assists to an SLB career-high.

“It’s a result of the thousands of shots that we put up, the bad games that we have and the experience that we build.

“Friday was one of those nights when it all came together for me.

“I’ve had a couple of 30-point games in my career but it’s credit to my team-mates that they kept finding me and kept putting me in a position to score like that.

“I got hot and the guys made it about me but as a group we’ve still got to come out and play basketball.”

James hit the nail on the head as he pointed to a below-par team performance that frustrated head coach Marc Steutel and left home fans baffled.

A disastrous start was like night and day compared to the lightning fast first quarter that had crippled Bristol Bears in the SLB Trophy just six days earlier.

And James agreed that Newcastle must do better against a dangerous Manchester side coming up fast in a congested Championship table.

“I wouldn’t say the Lions loss was the most frustrating thing,” he added. “It was the more the energy — or lack of energy — in the first half.

“We came out and played like that after a big game on Sunday and we know we have to do better as a team.

“I think the loss can be good for us if we look at where we can get better. We have three big games ahead of us and we want to be better.

“This team is capable of anything and we’ve bounced back before this season. We just need to lock in and come together on the defensive end in Manchester.

“We didn’t do that against Lions and whether that was down to that lack of energy or something else, I just don’t know.

“But I’d rather we played like that now than at the end of the season when there’s more silverware up for grabs.”

As 2025 SLB Trophy winners, Newcastle have proved they have the big game mentality necessary to add to the franchise’s 28 major title wins.

But London bossed things on Friday after exploding out of the blocks and leading by seven at the half.

James found some support from previously shackled team mates Mike Okauru, Seneca Knight and Jordan Spencer after the break with all three hitting double digits.

But it was a tough day at the office for frustrated playmaker Trey Pulliam after the SLB rookie was fouled out down the stretch — exiting a physical affair on the back of a controversial offensive foul.

“It was tough on Trey,” added James. “London is a physical team and sometimes the refs don’t let us play all of the time.

“Trey got in foul trouble and had to sit but he’s a great player. We need him right now.

“We need him on defence and on offence he looks to get everyone involved so he’s already a big part of this team.

“We have to focus on the bigger picture. I think we’re progressing well.

“We’ve had a couple of swap outs but I think we’re starting to learn each other and we’re getting to know each other better on the court.

“It’s coming together well. When it came down to winning the Trophy we locked in and that’s the sign of a good group.”

Newcastle’s clash at Manchester — fifth versus sixth — tips off at 3pm with the action screened live and for free via the DAZN app.