The Newcastle Eagles opened their home SLB campaign with an impressive 88 – 70 win over Cheshire Phoenix in front of a packed Vertu Motors Arena on Friday night. It was a very solid all-round team performance built on the ‘defensive blueprint’ that Head Coach Marc Steutel wanted.

It also meant that The Eagles made it two from two in the very early stages of a long, long season ahead as they followed up their win at Caledonia last Sunday. That had been a win where Coach Steutel felt his team had shown great character and determination but not always the control he wanted.

Certainly, going into this game Steutel had talked about being better defensively and building from there. His team took that message on board and really nailed the game plan down to take a second win in six days.

It takes them into Sunday’s game at Sheffield in great heart and with something to build on as well as a great boost to their confidence. A measure of the all-round input for Newcastle was the fact they had five players in double figures and another just a whisker away.

Their latest recruit Maceo Jack who spent two successful years with the Phoenix torched his old team to the tune of 24 points to lead his side but perhaps the MVP may have gone to Brett Reed. The big man was very solid in the early stages when Cheshire had their best period.

He helped lay the platform for what was to come later from his teammates and 14 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists is certainly something that pleased him and his Coach by the end of the 40 minutes. Marco Anthony had a very solid double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds showing his versatility.

Cole Long was a mere one rebound away from joining him on the same stats whilst Ray’sean Taylor netted 12 points with 8 rebounds. A measure too of the win was that it was achieved largely without Captain Josh Ward-Hibbert who limped out of the contest after playing just a tick over ten minutes.

The game got off to a crazy frantic helter-skelter start. Only a single Reed free-throw went through the basket in the first three and half minutes until Phoenix’s Skyler White also netted a shot from the charity stripe to tie things up.

Reed scored again but then a 7 – 0 run from the visitors gave them an early lead and at 5 – 13 down Steutel called a time-out. It seemed to steady his side although they still trailed Cheshire 18 – 11 at the end of the first period.

The second ten-minute stretch was crucial. Eagles totally dominated defensively and started finding the basket at the other end with regularity. Reed finding Anthony three times in quick succession for buckets that brought the home side back into the game.

Then a Reed and-1 gave Newcastle a lead that they increased with a Taylor triple from an Anthony find. Phoenix forced into a time-out this time. But coming out of the tactical discussion they still struggled, Mitch Clarke nailing a triple during a 12 – zip run for The Eagles.

A run that broke the game open as it meant Newcastle went into the locker room ahead by 13-points at 43 – 30 after netting 32 points and only conceding 12. They expected and got a determined effort from Cheshire in the third with Frankie Policelli sinking three triples in the period.

But Eagles were looking steady especially on the defensive end and held strong to take an 8-point lead into the final ten minutes and they doubled that advantage as the final stanza. Opening with eight unanswered points the lead was suddenly sixteen points and it looked a long way back for Cheshire.

As it proved as Jack in particular embedded a final few daggers into his old teams’ side and an Anthony deuce followed by a Taylor triple gave Newcastle their biggest lead of the night in the final period at 79 – 58.

From there it was game management as the 2025/26 new-look Newcastle Eagles responded to the fan’s enthusiastic support and urgings to seal the deal and send all those with Eagles connections home happy after a very good opening home effort.

Sheffield away on Sunday will be tough. Of that there is no doubt and it’s also very early in the season. But two wins from two is as much as Steutel could have asked for from his team as they continue to build the DNA and identity that he craves from them.