Image source, BBL

Newcastle coach Fab Flournoy will be taking nothing for granted on a night when the Eagles open their new 2,800-seat arena.

“It’s not just the occasion, we also haven’t been able to train because of last-minute work on the building - so it that hasn’t been ideal,” he said.

“There’s only so much we can do - especially playing a tough, tough Plymouth team going down there and getting the win was huge for us,” said Flournoy.

The Raiders went through December undefeated, with coach Paul James and small forward Donte Nicholas being named Coach and Player of the Month respectively.

“Plymouth have always had a talented team but they’ve lacked that tough edge. But PJ [Paul James] has done that and given Plymouth an identity. To get coach and player of the month in the same month says something.”

Newcastle started with five wins, scoring 100 points or more four times, but then hit a run of just two wins in their next seven games as accommodation problems took their toll

“We didn’t train for a month - we were leaving [previous venue] Sport Central and we had difficulty getting training slots booked there,” said Flournoy.

“So we went a month without having consistent training time. We went from playing really good basketball to a four-week period when we were really just…out there together playing.

“Credit to the guys, at home we could pull some of those games out and win, but on the road we’d just die. In the third quarter, we’d be giving up a lot of points, because we hadn’t been able to work on our defensive rotations.”

Plymouth Raiders are the visitors as Newcastle Eagles celebrate the opening of their new arena on Friday night.

Newcastle faced Plymouth in Devon last Sunday and came out on top with a 91-83 victory and could complete a season sweep over Plymouth if they are victorious on a landmark night for the club.

The Eagles are the most successful team in British basketball, having won 25 BBL trophies in the last 15 years, but they currently sit in third place in the BBL Championship, having played fewer games than both London Lions and Sheffield Sharks above them.

Plymouth Raiders, who have never won a BBL Championship title, went unbeaten in December before their defeat to Newcastle last week and have a record of seven wins and seven defeats this season.

Image source, BBC Sport

Get Inspired
#GetInspired

More than 300,000 people are estimated to play basketball each month in the United Kingdom. All you need is a ball and hoop and there are thousands of outdoor courts across the country where you can play for free, so what are you waiting for?

Find your local club by using the club finders for England Basketball, external, Basketball Northern Ireland, external, Basketball Scotland , externaland Basketball Wales, external.