By Glen Robertson
Durham Wildcats were denied a famous victory over local rivals Newcastle Eagles by a late surge from the current BBL leaders, who ran out 101-94 winners on Saturday.
In front of a near sell-out Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre, the Wildcats led their illustrious neighbours until six-minutes from the end of the contest, but the Eagles showed just why they are favourites to win the BBL title with Joe Chapman scoring 14-points in the final quarter to break Wildcats’ hearts.
It was a cruel ending for the hosts, who were looking to upset the formbook and record their first win since November 5. The Eagles, meanwhile, have now won six games in a row and are yet to lose on the road in the BBL Championship this season, as they look to add a fifth BBL championship to the BBL Cup they won last weekend against Plymouth Raiders.
Seven-points from Eagles’ Andrew Thompson helped the visitors into a three-point lead at the end of the first-quarter, but the Wildcats came out firing in the second. The first six-points of the quarter went to the hosts – with Mike Capocci scoring four of his 27 points – putting the Wildcats into a lead that they didn’t relinquish until the final quarter.
Eagles tied the game on three occasions during the period, but each time Wildcats edged back into the lead, helped by three-pointers from Paul Elderkin and Ralph Bucci. Mario Flaherty’s dunk with 15-seconds left of the half saw the home side go into the break with a 47-45 lead.
The expected fightback from the Eagles didn’t materialise at the beginning of the third-quarter, as the Wildcats opened up a 10-point lead with just 163-seconds left on the clock. Eagles then called for a timeout that helped turn the game on its head. They pulled back to within five-points at the end of the quarter, putting them within striking distance.
The momentum that the Eagles earned in the last minutes of the third-period was carried into the fourth quarter, as they forced a 21-point swing to secure the victory. Wildcats were outscored 17-7 over the opening five minutes, with Chapman putting 10-points on the board. A three-pointer from Chapman and Paul Gause’s basket gave them a double-figure lead of their own at 84-95 with two minutes to play, and Wildcats were left with no time to stage a fightback.
Wildcats travel to Milton Keynes on Friday to face the MK Lions, before hosting Chester Jets on Saturday January 28 at Newton Aycliffe Lesure Centre.