No easy Ride for Leicester as Bunten’s girls battle in a thriller
BATTLING Newcastle Eagles WBBL bowed out of this season’s WBBL Cup - but basketball was the winner on Tyneside after an absorbing clash.
Newcastle’s 96-71 defeat to Leicester did not tell the true story as a late burst from the Riders put the gloss on a deceiving scoreline.
The below-strength Eagles showed glimpses of their obvious potential by matching the North Group winners for 35 minutes of a terrific tie.
Ali Gorrell’s 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists underlined the returning American’s value to a team in transition.
WBBL rookie Maddy McVicar maintained her strong start to the season with 16 points and eight boards and Jorjah Smith delivered on debut with 14 points off the bench.
The Eagles needed to win by at least 14 points to progress to the cup semi-finals but victory by any margin was the first target.
That task was made all the more difficult prior to tip when co-captain Mante Kvederaviciute pulled up with shin splints in the warm-up.
Kvederaviciute was joined on the sidelines by another absentee in close-season signing Abby Lowe.
Trailing 8-2 and 16-5 — and with Bland added to the walking wounded with an eye injury — few gave the Eagles any hope of turning around a tough opening period. Yet Chris
Bunten’s side clicked to close the quarter with a stunning 17-0 tear.
However, the visitors wasted no time forcing their way back into a cup thriller to convert successive triples and open up a 24-22 lead.
Leicester stepped up the pace to lead 53-46 four minutes into the third period.
Gorrell’s powerful and one play reduced the deficit to four before McVicar and Smith sank huge threes.
Suddenly the Eagles were back in front and if that 14-point win seemed some way off then the women in black were showing serious character in the face of adversity.
They led 62-60 heading into the final quarter - but fatigue set in and the Riders raced into a double-digit lead to easily win the North Group.