Eagles’ bid for play-off glory lies in tatters
ESH Group Newcastle Eagles crashed out of the BBL play-offs in Bristol after another disastrous away performance in keeping with what has happened since the turn of the year, writes JEFF KING.
Fab Flournoy’s men went down 77-60 to the Flyers in yesterday’s second leg to lose 163-157 on aggregate.
Quite where the Eagles’ hierarchy go after one of the most disappointing seasons in living memory is open now to much debate.
Newcastle’s injury jinx struck again prior to the game when Croatian forward Jure Gunjina - who has been in the starting much of the last two months - missed the game, meaning Jaysean Paige returned to the starting five.
Paige, though, was soon back on the bench - picking up two personal fouls inside the opening minute.
With his back-court partner Saah Nimley also picking up an early one, the Eagles looked disjointed at the start and Bristol more than halved the aggregate score with a 6-0 start before Darius Defoe finally got the visitors on the board.
Newcastle’s slow start continued but fortunately the Flyers were unable to take advantage of it at first and Kai Williams made Newcastle’s first field goal with more four and half minutes on the clock.
Nimley then picked up his second foul and the Eagles called a time-out to try and steady things.
It did not have the desired effect and two Bristol triples from Jordan Davis twice cut the aggregate score to only four points.
However, the Eagles did finally get going - Defoe doing well inside and triples from the returning Paige and Zarko Jukic meaning they levelled the scores at 19-19 by the end of the first and still led by 11 overall.
Defoe put the Eagles in front on the day for the first time and they started to look more comfortable and in control of the game.
Five quick points from Paige saw them move in to a five-point lead on the afternoon and 16 overall, forcing Bristol in to a time-out.
The time-out rallied the home side and they finished the half with an excellent 17-6 run - turning the momentum back in their favour as they went to the locker room only down five on aggregate.
The Flyers picked up where they had left off in the second quarter and an 8-0 start put them in front by three points on aggregate in the tie.
Paige and Nimley could not get going against a tough Bristol defence - in stark contrast to what they had shown in Friday’s first leg.
Bristol hung tough going in to the crucial final ten minutes four up on aggregate and when Davis tripled again at the start of the fourth the lead overall was up to seven and the Eagles were staring down the barrel.
Again Defoe got his side to within two points but a fifth Paige foul with 8:33 to go left the visitors seriously short of additional firepower and although Newcastle did manage to tie the game on aggregate the tide had turned against them.
Deep in to the final few moments Newcastle had one last chance to close it but another Davis triple was the final dagger in the Eagles’ hearts. BRISTOL FLYERS : Jordan Davis 17, Brandon Boggs 14, Rhondell Goodwin 12. NEWCASTLE EAGLES : Darius Defoe 23, Jaysean Paige 12, Kai Williams 9.