The Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles will travel to the Cheshire Oaks Arena in the search for form, as they prepare to take on the Cheshire Phoenix in Sunday afternoon British Basketball League action.
The Phoenix currently sit in 2nd place, one game ahead of the Caledonia Gladiators, with a record of 12-6. They will have to recover from a heartbreaking loss two days prior, after surrendering a 14-point lead to the London Lions on Friday night. The loss left them six wins behind the reigning Champions in the Championship standings.
The Eagles enter Sunday’s action in 6th position, one place ahead of the newly in-form Leicester Riders and battling for 5th with the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks. They have lost their last two contests, to the Bristol Flyers and Surrey Scorchers.
Shoot-out
The Phoenix enter game day second in points per game at 90.1, while the Eagles are 4th with 86.8. They are the two top teams in field goal attempts across the league, with Cheshire leading the way with 71.3 attempts per game, while the Eagles average 68.9. Fans can expect a fast-paced, high volume shooting game.
Differences in Style
The Eagles focus heavily on pounding the paint and a third in the league when it comes to attempts in the paint, while the Phoenix are second in 3-point attempts with 29.6 per game, to Newcastle’s 24.3.
Both teams are in the top threes for assists per game. However, they are also both in the bottom three for turnovers, with their impressive ability to protect the ball while zipping the ball around at pace.
Key Match-Ups
An individual battle to look out for is between guards Aaryn Rai and Jordan Johnson, who are both in the top three for scoring in the league, tied at 18.1 points per game. Rai’s teammate Maceo Jack sits just behind them in fourth, averaging 17.7. Rickey McGill is also in the top ten at 17.1, so fans can safely expect some tremendous individual scoring performances.
The last contest between the teams was back in September at the Vertu Motors Arena, which Cheshire won by seven. In that game , Cheshire punished the Eagles for their carelessness, outscoring them 20-7 in fast break points and 19-7 on points from turnovers. Newcastle will surely have to improve on that to compete in Sunday’s fixture.
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