A terrific effort from MVP Trey Pulliam couldn’t prevent Newcastle conceding a ninth loss in 10 league games as the Eagles’ SLB Championship woes continue.

The US guard drained a game high 21 points and dished up seven assists as he tried every trick in the book to end the Tynesiders’ dismal run of domestic form.

But even a pumped-up Pulliam’s best efforts weren’t enough to see off a Sheffield Sharks roster still very much in the title hunt.

A fourth game in six days always looked like a big ask for the men in black but Marc Steutel’s side responded positively to Friday’s humbling loss at the hands of Manchester Basketball.

And Newcastle took a deserved 21-17 lead after a tight first quarter with Pulliam and Josh Ward-Hibbert leading the charge.

Against all odds given a gruelling midweek schedule, the Eagles had outscored and outrebounded the Sharks during the first 10 minutes.

But without the sidelined Seneca Knight the visitors lacked significant strength in depth and Atiba Lyons’ men pounced in quarter two.

Ex-Eagles Rickey McGill and Rodney Glasgow Jr — in tandem with Prentiss Nixon — gained an increasingly strong foothold in the game.

And Sheffield’s backcourt three began to dominate as the hosts claimed a one-sided period 31-18.

The pressure was on Steutel’s side but a barnstorming third quarter kept the contest alive.

Newcastle’s fatigued roster somehow found an extra gear with benchman Christian James setting the tone.

The US guard hit seven straight points to trim the deficit to a point as the visitors refused to back down.

And the Eagles were still edging the battle of the boards — having scored 32 points in the paint — come the start of the decisive final quarter.

A three-point play from James fired Newcastle into a 66-65 lead 23 seconds into the fourth period and suddenly Sharks looked rattled.

But Lyons took time to steady the ship before the hosts reset and refocused down the stretch.

James missed the Eagles’ first free throw of the game in the 34^th minute and Sheffield opened up a seven-point lead seconds later.

Pulliam reduced the deficit to five twice inside the final five minutes but the hosts had just enough to keep their fast-tiring rivals at bay.

Forward Jacob Groves finished a tight affair in the ascendancy while McGill (15), Nixon (11) and Glasgow Jr (eight) continued to drain key buckets.

And Sharks controlled the final two minutes to boost their own Championship record and leave Newcastle wondering where their next win might come from.

Manchester are back at the Vertu Motors Arena on Thursday as a relentless regular season schedule gathers pace.

And a rare three-day break from competitive action has never been more timely as the beaten but unbowed Eagles desperately search for some much-needed late season form.