2014/15 Game Report
Team
Opposition
Home/Away
Competition
Date
Score
Newcastle Eagles Under 18 Women
Leeds Force
H
EBL Under 18 Women North
4th October 2014
Newcastle Eagles
55
- 57
Leeds Force
Report
Eagles u18 Women showed remarkable energy and tenacity in this exciting, edge-of-the-seat match-up against Leeds
Force. The new season sees them playing with intensity, keeping up a relentless pace, and passing accurately (they
made about half the number of turnovers in this game than they were giving up in a typical game last year).
Both teams came out playing forcefully in the first. Defence was fiercely unforgiving at both ends — with the Eagles
in particular left settling for low-percentage outside shots — making for a low-scoring quarter with points 9/11 at
the buzzer.
The second saw some nice individual plays from the Eagles — Sally Mills made a strong drive into the key and dished
off to give Sophie Ridley an easy lay-up; Levi Williams sank a long 2 from way out on the arc; and Sophie made a
great solo effort weaving between defenders for an exciting lay-up — but a lot of shots just wouldn’t go down for
Newcastle. Leeds had few problems in this area, and a couple of threes helped them to stretch their lead to as many
as 12 points in the later part of the quarter.
The Eagles looked better in the third, steadily eroding the Force lead to go ahead by 2 in the sixth minute. Quarter
highlights included a very strong post-up move from Lucy Phillips and a curving drive through the Force key that left
three defenders standing. Unfortunately, Leeds rallied and went on an 8/0 run in the last two minutes of the period,
leaving the scores at 35/41 at the buzzer.
The fourth was an intense roller-coaster ride, with Eagles playing some of their most committed and pacey ball for
some time. Some early baskets saw Leeds go ahead by ten, but Newcastle fought back hard, penetrating the key and
drawing fouls again and again. Beth Rumble made a major contribution, pushing into the key to create two andone opportunities in quick succession, bringing in all 6 points. The Eagles took the lead in the seventh minute, but
Leeds answered immediately with a three. It looked like Newcastle would clinch the game with Beth Rumble and
Sophie making quick baskets in the ninth, but Leeds managed one more rally to take the game with 57 points to the
Eagles' 55.
This was a great game. The Eagles played very well and were unlucky not to win out: to a large extent the run of play
just went against them in the last minute or so of the game. They should be proud of this performance, which bodes
well for the rest of the season.
Top scorers for the Eagles were Bethany Rumble with 15 points and Sophie Ridley and Lucy Phillips with 10 each.
Lucy led on rebounds, pulling down 11. Levi Williams and Bethany Wilson made 3 assists a piece.