Esh Group Eagles Newcastle v Sheffield Sharks
Where and when:
Sport Central, 7.30pm Friday 13 November
Summary:
Sheffield Sharks stand between Esh Group Eagles Newcastle and extending their unbeaten start to the season to double-digit games.
Sharks travel to Sport Central for their second clash with the reigning champions this season, following a tough BBL Cup exit at the hands of the league’s other unbeaten team, Leicester Riders last time out.
But the likes of Jerrold Brooks and Antone Robinson continue to impress, giving Atiba Lyons’ side the belief that they could be the side to knock off Eagles, who are coming off a weekend without a game.
Last time they met:
Sheffield Sharks 78 Esh Group Eagles Newcastle 85 (BBL Championship, EIS Sheffield, 18 September 2015)
Form:
Eagles: WWWWWW
Sharks: LWWLWL
Three Points:
  • Eagles have won each of the last nine meetings between these teams
  • Eagles (93.13 points-per-game) and Sharks (87.0) are the two top-scoring teams in the BBL
  • Jerrold Brooks and Antone Robinson are two of the BBL’s top two individual scorers so far this season
What they say:
Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy: “[The weekend without a game] was an opportunity to reflect and look at ourselves a little bit. We had a very hectic start to the season and spent a lot of time focusing on opponents so it was nice to be able to assess ourselves for a change.
“[Sheffield] have also had a very tough series of games. They are an exciting offensive team and are becoming more cohesive each and every week.”
Manchester Giants v Esh Group Eagles Newcastle
Where and when:
Luccozade Powerleague Sportsdome, 6.00pm Sunday 15 November
Summary:
Manchester Giants face both of last season’s BBL Play-Off Finalists this weekend, hosting champions Esh Group Eagles Newcastle on Sunday.
Yorick Williams’ men have lost seven of their previous eight games, but return to the scene of the solitary triumph in that sequence to face London Lions on Friday before taking on Eagles.
Fab Flournoy’s side are coming off a weekend without a game, but are also in action on Friday night before this one, facing off against old rivals Sheffield Sharks.
Last time they met:
Esh Group Eagles Newcastle 107 Manchester Giants 97 (BBL Championship, Sport Central, 15 April 2015)
Form:
Giants: LLLLWL
Eagles: WWWWWW
Three Points:
  • Since their return to the BBL in 2012, Giants have not beaten Eagles (nine attempts)
  • Eagles forward Andrew Thomson is 13 rebounds short of 1,000 in the BBL Championship
  • Giants are currently collecting fewer rebounds than any other team in the BBL, at 10.33 per game
What they say:
Giants forward Nathan Schall: “We have been a little inconsistent in our results, but on the whole as a unit we are getting stronger, which I think is key for us. Defensively, we have made a few mistakes in the past so that’s a big focus for us, but we know where we need to make the adjustments in our game, we’re going hard on the practice floor and we’ll be ready for the weekend.
“Newcastle is a game I’m looking forward to. They’re always sharp on defence, and on offence they punish you for every mistake and missed rotation. We are going into the game with a defensive focus. If we can stick to our assignments and targets we’ll be in good shape.”
Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy: “I am sure Yorick will have his guys ready to play. I had the benefit of accumulating a lot of knowledge from playing for very talented coaches before I started coaching and I am sure that he is exactly the same.”