Despite sitting near the top of the British Basketball League Championship, Cheshire Phoenix couldn’t slow down Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles’ Rickey McGill as the visitors pick up a 22-point win.
Cheshire Phoenix starting five:
Luke Rideau, Maceo Jack, Aaryn Rai, Ethan Chargois, Skyler White
Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles starting five:
Rickey McGill, Larry Austin Jr, Devin Whitfield, Darius Defoe, Tajh Green
First Half
You knew Larry Austin Jr was going to enjoy this game. The former Cheshire Phoenix point guard returned to Cheshire Oaks Arena, this time as a member of the Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles, and got out running.
But a purposeful first quarter from Rickey McGill put the visiting Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles up early. His 12 points in the opening ten minutes meant the at-home Cheshire Phoenix were chasing the action.
Cheshire’s Skyler White did everything he could, hitting his usual three-point shots from wherever he wanted, but his Phoenix side were down by 11 at the end of ten minutes.
The home crowd rallied the men in black during the second quarter. Plenty of ball movement saw Cheshire notch up seven assists on ten buckets, with Maceo Jack, Aaryn Rai and Laquincy Rideau each doing their bit.
The Phoenix headed to the locker room down seven, but with momentum.
Second Half
Despite the comeback attempt, McGill’s confidence was still high for Newcastle to start the third, as demonstrated by a pull-up three in transition that sailed through the net.
This inspired Tajh Green to run hard after a steal by legendary Eagles big man Darius Defoe and Green threw down a fastbreak jam with gusto.
This pushed the Newcastle lead up to 15, but before it could get out of hand, Cheshire went on a 6-0 run before the end of the third quarter.
However, Austin Jr slowed their momentum with a breakaway layup before the buzzer sounded.
The third frame was a period of runs. While David Ulph and Maceo Jack started it well for Cheshire, the Eagles went on a 12-2 run to build their lead up to 19.
This is when Aaryn Rai put his head down. He made a series of tough buckets, including a hard dribble into the lane, bouncing a defender off him and hooking a shot up to bring his team within 13.
Rideau picked up where Rai left off but that’s when McGill stopped forward for the Eagles.
Once again, he proved to be the separator, hitting a big three to reclaim a 14-point lead, pushing it up to 16 with a layup with flair.
This would be enough to secure victory on the road for Newcastle, despite both teams playing hard until the end.
Player of the Game
Rickey McGill set the pace and dominated the flow of the game to get a big win on the road for the Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles, notching his fourth 30-plus point game of the season.
| Teams | Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Cheshire Phoenix | Maceo Jack | 27 | 5 | 2 |
| Cheshire Phoenix | Aaryn Rai | 18 | 11 | 1 |
| Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles | Rickey McGill | 39 | 5 | 7 |
| Seriös Group Newcastle Eagles | Tajh Green | 17 | 16 | 2 |
Read More
Where to watch the British Basketball League
Read about Maceo Jack’s rise to leading the Cheshire Phoenix
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