2014/15 Game Report
Team
Opposition
Home/Away
Competition
Date
Score
Newcastle Eagles Under 18 Men
Northampton
A
EBL Under 18’s North Premier
24th January 2015
Newcastle Eagles
78
- 81
Northamptonshire Titans
Report
The Eagles and their supporters set off on a weekend away as they played Northampton Titans and Team
Birmingham back to back…
The game in Northampton was always going to be a tense affair with some added extra spice after the game in
Newcastle before Christmas had been forfeited by the Titans…
The Eagles arrived with an hour to tip and were asked to move changing rooms by the home team into what could
only be described as an igloo… We then had the Titans assistant coach cause issues over the tip off time and actually
insult Coach Heath in the process…
The game finally tipped on time at 3.30pm with the Eagles in white and the Titans in purple playing in front of a very
healthy but hostile crowd… The Titans had the better of the first 5 minutes as they led by 10-7 before the Eagles hit a
big 3 from Chris Rushton followed quickly by a lay up in transition from Billy Joe Tait to make it 10-12… The Titans
then hit a 7-0 run including 3 out of 5 free throws handed out by the officials to make it 17-12… The last 3 minutes
were an equally ran thing as the quarter came to an end at 22-16…
The 2nd period was another full on battle with both teams trying to play tough basketball but the Eagles were
penalised on numerous occasions by Lavin the umpire who only seemed to see one colour… However the Eagles did
gain some momentum in the first 3 minutes and again in 7th to 9th minute when they finally edged ahead with 3 in a
row from down town from Tait which took them to 38-40…
The Eagles squandered two free throws on the buzzer and it was all tied up at 41-41 heading into half time... (19-25)
The 3rd quarter was another very close 10 minutes as the Titans edged ahead again by the 5th minute at 52-51… The
game then hit rock bottom with umpire Lavin as in the 8th minute he called a foul on a shot with the scores at 59-58
to the Titans… Even though the ball hadn’t entered the net he checked with the unqualified young table officials who
said the shot had dropped and he signalled an And 1 which the Titans made making it a very dubious 3 point play…
Coach Heath was barracked by a supporter on the baseline behind the basket where the shot had been taken…
However the Eagles weren’t to be pushed around as on the buzzer Matthew Brady who had hustled all the time on
the floor including getting a blooded lip hit a massive 3 to make it 64-63… (23-22)
The 4th period was always going to be a tough tense affair and so it proved and it was the Eagles who had the
momentum and by the 4th minute they had pushed onto a 65-68 lead even though the Titans again had been sent to
the line a further 5 times… The next dubious incident was when Titans number 24 Salmon picked up his 5th foul but
somehow the table official held up only 4 and despite a request from the Eagles staff, Lavin said he could only go off
the book which showed only 4 fouls… It was tough to take as he then contributed 4 of the Titans next 8 points and
took the Titans ahead 73-68… Back came the Eagles lead by a lay up and 4 free throws in a row from Sean Murphy to
make it 75-74… The Titans made the next two baskets to go up 79-74, before the Eagles answered in the 9th minute
to make it 79-76… The officials again came to Northampton’s aid giving them another 4 free throws and they made
two to make 81-76… The Eagles then pushed on in the 10th but could only manage a single basket closing the game
out at 81-78… (17-15)
Coach Heath said ‘I had warned the guys all week leading up to the game what to expect and had reiterated it in the
igloo before tip off that we would need to be 10 points better than them to take the win and so it proved… The guys
gave everything and more but we came up short under some very strained circumstances…
We played so well for long periods and competed so well in all departments…
We now have 24 hours to re-group and be ready for a massive game in Birmingham…’
Eagles Top Scorers- Chris Rushton 15, Billy Joe Tait 12 and Aaron Wilson 12…