The Newcastle Eagles fly into tonight’s home Super League Basketball play-off quarter-final in confident mood and with massive momentum after last weekend’s wonderful double-winning weekend. A weekend that saw them secure a highest ever League placing of third.

To win back-to-back games within 15 hours of each other is one thing to do it without star forward Tierra Hodges was quite another. Head Coach Chloe Gaynor needed someone to step up and answer the call. That someone one was Kendall Currence.

Top scoring efforts in each game including a last second buzzer beating winner at Durham on Sunday inspired her team mates to both victories and gave the Eagles a superb platform for tonight’s game. Currence reflected on that as she looked forward to the Essex Rebels challenge ahead.

“It was a big weekend for me and the team. Not having ‘T’ was a factor but as a team we came together. There was that motivation to play for her and also try to pick up things on the glass and try to do the dirty work that she does and try to make up for that. We did a pretty good job of that.”

Beating Manchester on the Saturday night was huge and cemented that 3^rd place finish with Currence netting 29 points in that win. It meant Sunday against Durham was not as important. But you wouldn’t have thought that when the game went to the last shot and Currence knocked down the winner.

“Honestly I was just trying to save us another five minutes of overtime! But I feel like if you have a shot you’ve got to take it and luckily it worked out to complete a great weekend.”

Now attention turns to the Essex Rebels and tonight’s game. A Rebels side that Newcastle beat both times in the regular season. But this is play-off basketball and the slate is wiped clean. Something Currence is well aware of.

“I think our team is confident. We’ve been here before twice and we’ve won twice so I don’t see why we can’t do that again. The goal is the 18^th May at The O2. That’s what’s going to keep us going through the playoffs.”

“It means a lot for us to have the game at home. We have a community; we have people that show up for us. It gives us extra advantage against the Rebels especially as it’s hard being on the road and having to travel.”

“We’re not going to sit on our high horse. We’re going to continue to take it one play at a time until the very end and that buzzer goes off. We’re going to stay present in the moment and focus on Essex this weekend and then hopefully move on to the next.”

There’s no doubting that the togetherness, sheer will and determination matched the talent and ability in this Eagles side and they go into tonight’s game ready to give of their very best. Playoff basketball can be brutally harsh but it can also bring great rewards and a trip to the O2 is always the goal.

“It would mean everything to me. The last time I won something was back in High School and maybe once in college.”

“But my first year as a rookie and seeing this team and the adversity we went through early on in the season. If we were to win that it after all the hard work we’ve put in I think it would mean the world to everybody.”

Tip-off at the Vertu Motors Arena is 7:30pm and it looks like being a packed house as the Eagles faithful fanbase looks to roar on their favourites into the semi-finals of the end of season competition.