Newcastle Eagles completed a five-match unbeaten run in February on Friday night with a solid professional performance against the Bristol Flyers. In doing so it levelled the League series between the two sides and further haunted the Flyers after January’s SLB Trophy Final win.

Once again it was ‘Money’ Mike Okauru who led the way for Newcastle confirming another MVP performance against Bristol who must be sick at the sight of the SLB’s leading scorer. Okauru had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the highest rating index of any player on court.

There were 4 of 6 triples included in his points tally and with Cole Long coming off the bench to net 3 of 5 from beyond the arc in his 14-point supporting effort these long-range bombers played a huge part in shooting the Flyers down.

Not that they were alone as all the Eagles players who entered the court played their parts with rebounds, steals and assists a-plenty with Josh Ward-Hibbert and De’sean Allen-Eikens both netting 15 points. GB International Ward-Hibbert adding 5 rebounds and Allen-Eikens a team-high 8 boards.

Perhaps the long coach journey put a little bit of stiffness into Head Coach Marc Steutel’s charges as early on their offence spluttered and Bristol took advantage to open up a seven-point lead at 18 to 11. But slowly and surely the Eagles boosted by Long and Seneca Knight from the bench took control.

They came back although still lost the first period by 20 points to 18. It was though, in the end, the only quarter that they won. From that point Newcastle produced an excellent defensive display that saw them not allow the home side to score less than 20 points in the remaining periods.

The second period was tight throughout with Captain Darius Defoe giving the Eagles their first lead on the night with a deuce to make it 25 – 24. From their Newcastle were never behind again. Flyers did tie the game but Allen-Eikens late bucket sent Eagles into the locker room up by 34 to 32.

Newcastle almost broke the game open in the third period with a terrific 13 points to 2 burst to give them a 13-point lead at one stage. But a very bad looking injury to power forward Malcolm Delpeche which saw him led from the court on a stretcher seemed to knock them out of rhythm slightly.

It enabled a Bristol comeback that saw them cut the gap to a mere four points. As the game went into the final quarter it still looked like anyone’s win to take but that’s when the Newcastle power and scoring ability really came to the fore.

Back-to-back triples from Okauru and another from Long saw Eagles restore their double-digit lead and from there they locked down their opponents for the final time and cruised to a great road victory. Ward-Hibbert’s triple with two seconds to go on the clock a final exclamation point.

So, February done and dusted and Steutel’s men moved to a 10 wins 7 loss record in the SLB Championship standings consolidating their top four position in the table. No rest though as March opens on Sunday with another tough road trip to Manchester who have a new coach to impress.

That said with the basketball Newcastle are playing and the togetherness they are showing they will travel to the North West in good mood and with confidence they can keep their winning streak going.