Crushing fourth loss on the run
NEWCASTLE EAGLES WBBL 39
LEICESTER RIDERS 66
NEWCASTLE Eagles head to Oaklands Wolves next weekend following a crushing defeat at the hands of Leicester Riders.
Chris Bunten’s winless side remains rock bottom of the WBBL Championship on the back of a fourth straight league loss.
A succession of injuries, late schedule changes and concerns related to the pandemic hardly helped a team in transition during the build-up to a key fixture.
But the Eagles were the architects of their own downfall.
Newcastle converted a paltry 22% of their field goals and converted just one of 14 attempts from beyond the arc.
A static offence caused the visitors few problems with only Lisa Koop and Ali Gorrell reaching double figures.
And a frustrated Maddy McVicar was held scoreless as the Riders’ defence limited the previously prolific WBBL rookie to just eight shots in 37 minutes.
The absence of injured trio Rachael Bland, Jorjah Smith and Molly Taylor hardly helped.
But Bunten needs more from experienced forward Mante Kvederaviciute as the Lithuanian international struggles to recapture last season’s form.
And without McVicar’s offensive productivity Newcastle never found the cutting edge necessary to trouble Jesper Sundberg’s side.
Leicester opened up an ultimately unassailable 27-13 first quarter lead. But things got far worse before they got marginally better for the hosts.
Newcastle managed just four points during a forgettable second period and an early technical foul called on a furious Bunten summed up a sorry 10 minutes.
In fairness to the Eagles, a much-improved defensive display after the break restricted the Riders to just six third quarter points.
An evenly matched final quarter saw Ruth Thornley finally find a score from beyond the arc.
Abby Lowe also showed flashes of her undoubted potential but four turnovers in 22 minutes spoiled an otherwise encouraging display.
And Aussie Smith was a big miss on a day when Newcastle needed to play with more aggression and carry a greater offensive threat.