29th February 2008 Newcastle Eagles 87-78 Marshall MK Lions

BBL Championship Match Preview

Game details:-

Venue: MetroRadio Arena

Competition:- BBL Championship

Tip-off:- 7.30pm

Quarterscores:- 16-16, 45-30, 64-53

Overtime periods:-

Final result:- 87-78

Officials:- Dale Aitcheson, Roger Harrison, Chris Dodds

Top Scorers:

Eagles: Stewart 24, Babalola 22, Hyatt 18

Lions: Youngblood 17, New 14, Williams 14

League Position

2007/08 League Record

Current Form (last 5)

All-Time Head-to-Head

Championship Head-to-Head

2007/08 Head-to-Head

Last Win vs. opposition

Biggest Win vs. opposition

Points Leader

Rebounds Leader

Assists Leader

Team Points Per Game

Team Rebounds Per Game

Team Assists Per Game

Team Shooting %

Team Three-Point %

Team Free-throw %

vs.

The Newcastle Eagles made it a perfect 7-0 for February, whilst strengthening their place at the top of the BBL Championship and avenging January's BBL Cup Final defeat, as they beat the Marshall MK Lions 87-78 at the MetroRadio Arena.

Lynard Stewart led all scorers with 24 points, whilst Olu Babalola (22), and Jeremy Hyatt (18), will also take big scores into Sunday's BBL Trophy Final. Robert Youngblood continued to show good form as he made 17 points to lead the Lions.

A tight first quarter saw the Eagles edge ahead, before the Lions scored the last 5 points to tie the score at 16-16 after the first ten minutes.

The second quarter saw the league-leaders assert their authority as player/coach Fab Flournoy scored 4 points in a 9-0 tear that made the score 32-25. The Lions responded with the next 5 points until the Eagles broke the game open towards the end of the period. They held the Lions scoreless for the last 2:30 as Olu Babalola inspired them at the other end of the floor; the 6'6" Brit netted 7 points in a row during what became a 13-0 surge taking them up to the half-time break.

The teams traded baskets early in the third stanza with Mike New, who first came to the UK with the Eagles some twelve years ago, single-handedly keeping the Lions in touch as he made their first 6 points. Despite that, the hosts stretched the lead to its peak at 64-48 towards the end of the quarter, before the Lions ensured that they were still in the game in the decisive quarter as they netted the last 5 points of the third.

The closest that the visitors came in the final quarter was 77-69 after Fab Flournoy fouled out and Dru Spinks made an old-fashioned three-point play. Hyatt hit a three and Bridge added a basket as the Eagles pushed it back out to a double-digit lead at 82-69, and the Lions couldn't get much closer as they were condemned to back-to-back BBL Championship defeats for the first time since October.

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