Newcastle Eagles sit top of the Super League Basketball Trophy North group after Marc Steutel’s men bagged a statement win against big-spending Caledonia Gladiators.

Following two defensive masterclasses against Sheffield and Manchester, the handbrake was released against Gareth Murray’s border raiders.

And six Newcastle stars bagged double figure hauls as the hosts moved to 3-0 for the season in some style.

A 93-88 victory against a Gladiators side preparing for a return to Europe next week brought a boisterous Vertu Motors Arena to its feet.

But a battling Eagles roster was made to work for a fabulous win that once again showcased the fight at the heart of an evolving group.

Returning forward Malcolm Delpeche set the tone with nine points inside the first seven minutes on a night when Newcastle needed their bigs to be on the button.

The former Bristol favourite can be key to this team’s long term success and Steutel is determined to unlock the consistency that can fuel a push for silverware.

Delpeche finished the game with 17 points — shooting seven from 10 from the field — and four steals as he stood firm against fired-up Gladiators.

But there were positive stories to be told across the stat sheet as the Eagles hustled in the paint, shared the ball for fun and somehow found a way to combat their rivals’ imposing physical presence.

Mike Okauru burst out from the Newcastle bench — a tactic Steutel is favouring so far this season — to lead his team in scoring.

And the gutsy American added six assists, three rebounds and two steals to his 18 points as he proved a constant thorn in Caledonia’s side.

Seneca Knight (15), Josh Ward-Hibbert (14) and Jordan Spencer (11) all made their chances count on a night when the strongarm visitors allowed few easy looks.

But yet again it was unpredictable rookie De’Sean Allen-Eikens who threatened to steal the show with another eye-catching all-round display.

The SLB rookie added seven assists, four steals and four rebounds to his 11 points as Murray’s men struggled to contain the Eagles’ enigmatic summer pick.

Newcastle trailed for much of a tight first quarter but neither side was able to establish a significant lead as two undefeated teams went head to head.

Great Britain veteran Patrick Whelan came off the bench to get a grip of the Gladiators’ possession and Fahro Alihodzic used his height and experience to keep the Eagles’ defence keen.

But Steutel’s men stuck to the scout and a four-point play from the relentless Ward-Hibbert opened up a 45-37 lead towards the end of the half — Newcastle’s biggest of the night.

One of the most absorbing contests of the VMA era saw two fierce rivals strain every sinew to lay down an early-season marker.

And the men in black took a narrow two-point lead into a fourth quarter that always promised to deliver fireworks.

It didn’t disappoint. Delpeche returned to mop up a series of loose balls at the defensive end and Okauru exploded with a series of clutch buckets down the stretch.

The two teams lock horns again in Glasgow next Friday with Steutel’s focus on finding a way to better compete under the boards.

Losing the rebounding battle 46-24 — albeit against an oversized Gladiators — was the only downside on a night that offered further proof of the Eagles’ genuine potential.