AGGREGATE 174 – 178

Newcastle Eagles are going to the Utilita Arena Birmingham to play Bristol Flyers in the Super League Basketball Trophy Final on Sunday 26^th January 2025. That’s the simple easy fact to quote. How they got there is a much harder fact to break down after a wild night in Leicester on Sunday.

There can not be any sport that throws up so many different scenarios in a full-on forty minutes of game time. Sunday’s clash did that and oh-so much more. Basketball is a game of runs and momentum ‘they’ say. Not sure who ‘they’ are but ‘they’ are certainly right.

Head coach Marc Steutel’s team had this tie won, then wobbled massively, then after 30 minutes it was all done and dusted or was it as the Riders came storming back and Eagles wobbled again before finally getting over the line.

Many thought that after a pulsating first leg which Newcastle won by four points it might not be enough to take to Leicester for the second leg. Especially as Steutel’s side had gone to Riders just seven days ago and lost heavily 89 – 65 in the League. But in the end those four points were crucial.

The Eagles even had to go into the game without Captain Darius Defoe, injured on Friday night despite his heroics, which couldn’t stop his side from going out of the SLB Cup at the hands of Caledonia. However, cometh the hour cometh the man. Or in this case the men.

Newcastle will state that everyone that took to the court played their part. Whilst that is true they were and are indebted to two players in particular. Mike Okauru and Josh Ward-Hibbert both of whom turned in performances for the ages to help Newcastle through.

Okauru started the game like a steam train running off the tracks. His first period contribution of 15 personal helping Newcastle to take the quarter by 25 points to 15 and lead on aggregate by 14. Cue the first Leicester comeback.

Riders needed a big second quarter and got it as they fought back superbly restricting Newcastle to only 12 points in the period whilst netting 21 of their own. It meant the sides went to the locker rooms with Newcastle leading by a single point and by five overall.

The final two quarters were just astonishing. Newcastle at first struggling and with 7:52 to play in the third found themselves down by a point on the night and having their lead in the tie as a whole cut to a mere three points.

Enter Ward-Hibbert. He completely exploded on Leicester scoring all 13 points of an Eagles 13 – 2 run to put them back in control of the second leg and the tie overall. A further 8 – 0 Eagles run taking their lead to 18 on the night and 22 on aggregate.

Surely now game over? Ethan Wright and the Riders had other ideas. Wright grabbed 12 points personal to bring his side back and after Newcastle had done a great job restricting Leicester’s main man Zach Jackson he suddenly came alive and Leicester.

Okauru looked to have steadied the Eagles ship with four points late on to take them back up by seven on the night and 11 overall but inside the last couple of minutes Leicester had one more push and actually levelled the game on the night.

Back came Okauru with two more and although Leicester did take the lead again by a single point, De’sean Allen-Eikens netted a free throw to make it 83 – 83 on the night and we had that rarest of rare things a tied ball game at the end of forty minutes where the draw stood.

No overtime as that four points that the Eagles had led by going into the second leg now showed their value and worth as Steutel and his players celebrated in front of the large travelling jubilant fans and Newcastle booked their tickets to Birmingham.

Tickets are selling fast for the Eagles fans section with a coach travel option also available from the box office.