Seneca Knight and Josh Ward-Hibbert both played amazing as Newcastle Eagles defeated BK Opava, 84-69, and qualified to the ENBL playoffs for the second time on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at the Vertu Motors arena in northern England.
Players of the game
Union Jack wasn`t alone a day after Epiphany.
Newcastle mascot waved British and Czech flags simultaneously, honoring sportsmanship, shown by both teams.
Seneca Knight played like a royal knight.
Newcastle point guard scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Knight added a team high seven assists in all around performance.
De`Sean Allen-Eikens led all scorers with 22 points, including a 4/6 barrage from the three point line.
CSU Northridge graduate forward added six rebounds too.
Christian James contributed with 13 points and six rebounds.
The University of Oklahoma point guard dished out six assists.
Last but not least, Josh Ward-Hibbert had nine points, six rebounds and five steals.
Rob Howard led Opava with 14 points on 6/13 shooting from the field.
University of Illinois at Chicago big man blocked five shots.
Blocks | ENBL records
Dean Mickelson 5 December 28, 2021, Šiauliai vs Brno
Aleksandar Zečevič 5 December 22, 2022, Lublin 88-94 Zielona Gora
Brad Greene 5 October 11, 2023, Pleven 73-90 Bristol
Rob Howard 5 January 7, 2025, Newcastle 84-69 Opava
Key stats
Newcastle Eagles had a good first half, except poor shooting.
The hosts went 12/40 from the field, compared to 16/35 effort for the Czech club.
Newcastle was outscored from the three point line during the first 20 minutes, 5/18 vs 7/16.
The Eagles turned the ball over just three times in the first half.
Josh Ward-Hibbert made difference in defense.
He stole the ball four times after the break, igniting Newcastle counter attacks.
Newcastle held Opava to 26 points in the second half.
When your defense is this good, you get some good looks in offense.
Game notes
Newcastle Eagles improved to 6-1, while BK Opava dropped to 3-3.
Marc Steutel led the Eagles to back-to-back playoff appearances.
First seed in Group A is up for the grabs as well.
With SLB Trophy finals coming on January 26, the Eagles have secured a good start of 2025.
BK Opava is not out of a playoff contention.
The Czech team needs two wins and satisfying results in other games.
ENBL access: follow the game on YouTube
STANDINGS, as of January 7, 2025
Group A
Newcastle Eagles 6-1, +50 Qualified
CSO Voluntari 5-1, +116
Valmiera Glass ViA 5-1, +62
Dziki Warszawa 4-2, +48
BK Opava 3-3, -29
Donar Groningen 2-4, -6
Tartu Ulikool 1-5, -81
Spišski Rytieri 1-5, -103
Spartak Pleven 0-5, -57
Group B
Inter Bratislava 6-0, +25 Qualified
Bamberg Baskets 5-1, +66
Legia Warszawa 4-2, +29
Bakken Bears 3-3, +42
Basket Brno 2-2, +7
Bristol Flyers 2-4, -18
Dinamo Bucharest 1-4, -31
Keila Coolbet 1-3, -44
Fyllingen Lions 0-5, -76
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