Newcastle Eagles Add To Record With Trophy Title
Newcastle Eagles secured the first trophy of the Super League Basketball era with victory in the SLB Trophy, making the 28th piece of silverware for the most successful side in the British game.
The Vertu-backed side went into the competition seeking a record-extending eighth victory, having last taken the title back in 2020 following a dramatic overtime victory against the Solent Kestrels.
Having fallen at the group stage for three successive seasons, the Eagles were able to soar into the semi-finals having taken second spot in the Northern Group, which set up a two-legged tie against the Southern Group victors Leicester Riders.
A stunning second quarter performance in the opening leg at the Vertu Motors Arena was key to the Eagles securing a slender four point lead going into the second leg – which came shortly after Leicester had taken a comfortable win in the league encounter between the pair.
In a topsy-turvy encounter, the Eagles roared into the lead in the opening quarter only for their opponents to fight back in the second to reduce the gap on the night to a single point and the aggregate score down to five.
The Eagles then strengthened their hold on the tie by outscoring their rivals by 15 points in the third and whilst the Riders gave it their all in the final quarter to make the scores level on the night, the Eagles earned a place in the final in Birmingham to face the Bristol Flyers.
Bristol were chasing a first win in the competition and had scored a slender four point win in the previous league game between the two teams a fortnight ahead of the Birmingham final.
From the opening quarter, the Eagles were in control even though it was Bristol who put the first points on the board thanks to Keddy Johnson. Mike Okauru was the man who led the fightback with 17 points on his own to put the Eagles into a 31-19 lead – which played a part in him scoring MVP.
The second and third quarters saw the Eagles extend their advantage out to 23 points and although Bristol clawed back four in the final quarter, it was Marc Steutel and his team that came out on top with a dominant victory in the first major final since Super League Basketball was created to replace the British Basketball League.
Fans will have the chance to celebrate the victory on 31 January when the London Lions visit the Vertu Motors Arena for the latest round of league fixtures.