Newcastle Eagles saw out the old year with a terrific road win down in Surrey on Tuesday night in the SLB Championship. A great bounce back win after Sunday’s home loss to Caledonia and a win that takes them into the New Year and the Trophy semi-final against Cheshire Phoenix in good heart.

It was also a win in adversity as once again Newcastle were hit by a seemingly season-long injury jinx. Ray’Sean Taylor had been perhaps the only real spark in the game against Caledonia. But he failed a late fitness test on Tuesday which meant he could only play a supporting role from the bench.

He no doubt watched on with pride though as the rest of his teammates picked up the slack showed real togetherness and came away with a tough win in a venue that hasn’t always been the kindest for the Eagles in recent times.

It was a game that started well for Head Coach Marc Steutel’s team and ultimately in the end finished well. In between the start and finish they had to dig deep and show real resilience and grit to ward off a determined home side. It meant the Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the league series against Surrey.

Without Taylor, Terrell Burden stepped into the starting line-up to guide the side from the point and did a good job without his backcourt partner. It would be churlish to dismiss any of the contributions of those that stepped on to the court but Mitch Clarke in the fourth quarter and Manny Kanwei excelled.

Kanwei showed all the promise and ability that picks him out as a player that can really grow at this level and Clarke, particularly in the final ten minutes, showed just how important he is to this team. His toughness and play-making contributions at vital times crucial to the win.

Isiah Small netted one of two from the charity stripe to get the scoreboard moving as Surrey took a single point lead. But Eagles were sharper at the start and included triples from Burden and Maceo Jack to give them an 8-1 lead and establish a modicum of control early.

Deion Hammond then made back-to-back triples as Newcastle continued to bomb away at the Niners basket. Then when Darius Defoe nailed an and-1 play Eagles were up by 23-8 inside the first ten-minute period. But Surrey and Small in particular hit back with the last seven points to cut the gap.

That momentum took Surrey into a second quarter that they dominated. A superb 17-2 run from the start of the period completely turned the game around and suddenly it was the home side in the ascendency taking a 7-point lead.

Burden stopped the run for Eagles with another triple and from there Newcastle worked their way back to almost parody as the scored late as the clock ticked down to half-time. It all meant that when the sides left for the locker rooms it was Surrey that held a slender 42-40 lead.

The third period was a real dogfight. Eagles down by a single point scored eight unanswered to go back up by seven and force a Surrey time-out. From that tactical break the home side responded with eight of their own unanswered and went back in front.

It was tight and the lead switched between the sides leaving Surrey a single point in front at 58-57 going into the final period. A real ‘game-on’ and anybody’s guess as to which way a really punch-for-punch encounter would end.

It was then that Clarke laid down the gauntlet along with Kanwei in tow. The Aussie guard picking up eight personal with two triples and his young British forward teammate five including a rare triple of his own on his way to a 100% shooting game performance as Newcastle made the decisive run.

The scoring made possible by great defence as they opened the final period 15-4 to establish a ten-point lead which put them in the driving seat. Surrey tried to mount a comeback but another Clarke triple which Jack added a deuce to put Newcastle up by 12 inside the last two minutes.

It was the cushion they needed as Surrey didn’t have enough time to turn the game around one final time enabling Newcastle to celebrate a great win in Head Coach Steutel’s 150^th top-flight game as Eagles player-caller.

A milestone mention too for veteran Defoe. ‘Mr 28’ who with his five field goal attempts of which he made two moved to second place overall in that category in the history of top-level British Basketball. Two nice moments for two big parts of the Eagles franchise to add to the celebration of the win.

Tickets for this Friday’s SLB Trophy Semi-Finals first leg are available to book now from the box office.