Bunten cranks up the pressure as he bids to tame London’s Lions
NEWCASTLE Eagles tackle powerhouse WBBL franchise London tonight (7.00) bidding to become the first British team to inflict defeat on the Lions this season.
The two fierce rivals lock horns for the first time since May’s WBBL play-off final when Mark Clark’s side prevented a fairytale finish to Newcastle’s campaign.
Buoyant London bring a 5-0 Championship record to the Vertu Motors Arena just seven days after securing their place in the WBBL Cup final in emphatic fashion.
Eagles’ playcaller Chris Bunten said: “Let’s face it — the pressure is on the Lions.
“Nobody outside of Newcastle expects us to win this game so it is a free hit from our point of view.
“I am looking for my players to turn the game into a real dogfight and we will see what happens.
“I will accept a few mistakes and if London suddenly hit a load of shots from beyond the arc then so be it.
“I have challenged my players to make life as difficult as possible for London.
“We have to forget about the big names and the big reputations and focus on our own performance.
“Let’s go out there and compete with the best team in the country and one of the best women’s teams this league has ever seen.”
The homecourt Eagles have it all to do against a London roster boasting many of the biggest names in British basketball.
However, Newcastle have won three league games on the bounce and face a Lions side soundly beaten in Wednesday’s EuroCup clash in the Czech Republic.
Bunten added: “I have such a high opinion of my own players I hold them to a very high standard every week.
“As a result I always tend to focus on what they could be doing better.
“Take last weekend at Nottingham. It was a fantastic win but it was a victory tinged with frustration because we almost threw it away.
“I am thinking about our poor ball management at the end of the game when we have actually won our third match in a row.
“We are making progress and improving our performances week on week.
“There is still a long way to go but we have a chance against London.”
The Lions arrive on Tyneside on the back of a 68-41 loss to Zabiny Brno in their latest EuroCup group game.
However, the Londoners destroyed WBBL rivals Sheffield Hatters in a one-sided cup semi-final last weekend.
That comprehensive win earned both Shanice Beckford-Norton and Jo Leedham-Warner places in the latest WBBL All-Star five.
It was GB star Beckford-Norton who ran the show in last summer’s WBBL play-off final as Newcastle’s post-season charge came to a halt.
Bunten admitted the Lions boast an embarrassment of riches thanks to the ongoing investment of the club’s ambitious owners.
He said: “We cannot really worry about who might or might not be playing because whoever starts this weekend will be a quality player.
“I prefer to look at it as an opportunity for my young British players to test themselves against the very best.
“Can Chloe Gaynor and Anna Popovic control the paint?
“How much of an impact can Ebony Horton, Jess Eadsforth-Yates and Abby Lowe make at the offensive end?
“Can we make their players work hard for every possession and every shot?
“That is what I will be looking at for 40 minutes and we want to walk off the court knowing London have been in a game.”