Sharks attack means title hopes flounder
EAGLES NEED CONFIDENCE BOOST AFTER BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS
NEWCASTLE Eagles’ BBL Championship hopes appear to be all but extinguished as the Sheffield Sharks defeated them on Friday night in Sheffield.
The loss was the second in a row for The Eagles and the race to be 2016/17 Champions is well out of their hands now.
Indeed the focus must now be on simply getting the team back on track and back to winning ways with the next opportunity to do so coming next Friday night against Manchester Giants at Northumbria University Sport Central.
But back to Friday and being in a losing effort is not something that Eagles are used to but losing back-toback games following the home loss to Cheshire seven days previously is almost unheard of in Newcastle’s recent past and definitely something that needs addressing.
Eagles assistant coach Ian Macleod spoke of another bad night at the office for his boss Fab Flournoy’s side and what they need to look at going forward. It’s clear they have work to do
“On Friday it was a strange one and one we didn’t enjoy at all although for the majority of the first three quarters it was looking okay but that fourth quarter start killed us and we couldn’t recover from that in the end.
“We started okay and led early before Sheffield came back into it. The second quarter was also good and we kept managing to get six to eight points up but just when we were poised to pull away we kept letting Sheffield back in.
“They also finished the quarters better than us when it mattered and that’s something we talk about a lot as it can give you great momentum for the next quarter. Although the start of the fourth was crucial I actually think the damage was done late on in the third.
“We were up and they probably had their weakest line-up on court but a bit of complacency, a lot of missed opportunities and not pressing home our advantage was vital as we headed in to the final quarter.
“They brought their starters back on who were all fresh and ready for the battle and they just kept making. shot after shot as our defence fell apart. At the other end we couldn’t buy a basket and the confidence just seemed to ebb away and we were taken apart.”
Newcastle had actually entered the final quarter onepoint in front at 72 – 71 but in a 5:32 spell were outscored 19 – 0 by an opponent that hadn’t beaten them in three years. By the time The Eagles did score the game was virtually over. Macleod added “You very, very rarely see a run like that in any form of basketball at the start of a final quarter and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it happen to us ever. They got really hot, we went icy cold and in the end had no answers. “Sometimes you can ride a storm but this time we were flat and no matter what we tried from the sidelines the players just couldn’t seem to respond or find a way back.” So, worrying times for a side that prides itself on it’s defence and consistency as they are effectively out of the title race and now must look to consolidate their second place in The BBL table. “Its not about thinking that the title has gone and we need to think about the play-offs we just approach it one game at a time. I know that’s a cliché but it’s true. We have eight games left of the regular season and will be trying to win them all and then we’ll see where we end up.
“We’ve missed Darius Defoe hugely since he’s been out injured. It’s not just his play and the fact that he’s our leading rebounder, he’s also a vocal presence and a leader on court. He understands our system and what it entails and he brings everyone together so we’ve missed him for so many reasons.
“He’s on the way back, working hard to get his fitness levels up and is champing at the bit to be back on court. To be honest we need him and we can’t wait to have him back either.
“Whilst he’s been out we’ve been searching for an identity and a way to play. Players have been given opportunities and it’s fair to say they haven’t taken them. We’ve been too reliant on one or two individuals too often and we need to share the burden all round.
“That goes for the coaching staff too. We need to all be on the same page and find some cohesiveness moving forward. We all have to look at ourselves as individuals and see what we could be doing better and what we need to bring to the side to help us
move forward.
“The last two weeks haven’t been good. We need to work hard and concentrate on getting back to where we were around the turn of the year when we won The BBL Cup. When you’ve been as successful as we have a couple of losses does seem to resonate more than at other clubs.
“But that’s the standards we set for ourselves and we know they are high standards. But, we’ve achieved them in the past and we can again. We have to rediscover our belief in each other and move on together and right now that’s what we’re hoping to do.”