After a ten-day break, the Newcastle Eagles will return to the court on Wednesday night down in Manchester looking to break a five-match SLB Championship losing streak. Last time out it was a devasting loss on the final play of the game 102-100 to Leicester Riders.
The Eagles have in in that run of defeat only lost their last four Championship games by a mere eleven points. The expression ‘so close but so far’ coming to mind. They need to focus in on turning those small margins around as they look to improve their domestic league standings.
Head Coach Marc Steutel began his preview with his thoughts on a rare break from playing on what has been a brutal schedule of late both abroad and at home.
“We’ve had a really good training period. We haven’t had one of these pretty much since pre-season were we’ve just been able to practice. We’ve still got some health considerations that we’ve had to manage.”
“But it’s been positive that we’ve been able to try and build and be really really intentional with a couple of areas of our play that we want to improve. So that’s been a real positive.”
Newcastle though will be missing one regular from their bench on Wednesday night and that is Coach Steutel himself. The club and himself having to acknowledge and accept a disciplinary decision by the SLB following an incident after the narrow loss to Bristol last month.
It has resulted in a one-match suspension for Steutel which has to be served against Manchester. It means Assistant Coach Roberto Fois stepping up into the lead coaching role. Steutel though has still prepared thoroughly and knows the danger Manchester present.
“Manchester just qualified for the SLB Cup Final over the weekend. They’ve also enjoyed a positive European North Basketball League schedule where they’ve managed to get through to the play-off stage so credit to them for that.”
“We matched up positively against them when we saw them the last time. It was a few key possessions in the fourth quarter that meant we were on the wrong side of the outcome.”
That was one of those four games where Eagles were right in the mix down to the wire with Manchester just holding on at home to take a 102-98 victory a month ago. Steutel is looking, naturally, for his side to overturn that in this game.
“Hopefully, we can be the best version of us on Wednesday. Try and find a way to slow them down. Try and play one of our better defensive games of the season and fight for a much-needed win which is what we need to do.”
There’s no doubting that Newcastle have the talent and ability to win basketball games. What they need now is to find the mentality to go with that as they look to get back to winning ways against a tough Manchester side that always make it difficult for visitors to their own court.
Tip-off at The National Basketball Centre in Manchester is at 7:30pm. Eagles looking for a confidence boosting win before they return home to take on Surrey 89ers in the Vertu Arena on Friday night.
