Eagles are reading from same Paige

AS pre-season programmes go things could hardly have gone better for the Newcastle Eagles three games, three wins and nothing more than the odd niggle mean the men in black head into next weekend’s Betway All-Stars Basketball Tournament in confident mood.

By keeping it in the family the most decorated franchise in the history of the British game ensured their weekend doubleheader ended on a suitably competitive note.

Team Northumbria pushed their parent club all the way before falling away in the final period in the face of a Jaysean Paige offensive masterclass.

The Newcastle rookie’s game high 36 points underpinned a 117-67 victory and the former West Virginia Mountaineer already looks capable of scaling new heights in his second season as a professional baller.

Partnering the nimble-footed Saah Nimley in the new-look Eagles’ backcourt, Paige is blessed with the natural talent and crowd-pleasing skills necessary to become an instant hit in the BBL.

Paige, Nimley and AJ Basi look like the real deal but a rough-andtumble affair against their noisy neighbours was not all plain sailing for the Eagles.

Player-coach Fab Flournoy ripped into players and officials alike as TN forced last season’s BBL Cup winners and play-off finalists into a series of basic mistakes before the break.

The gulf in class told after the break, however, as the Eagles doubled their half-time advantage to lead 79-59 after the third quarter and restrict TN to just eight fourth-period points.

Newcastle are one of eight teams taking part in the inaugural Betway All-Stars Basketball tournament at London’s O2 Arena next Sunday.