Eagles hungry for play-off honours

BBL play-offs final
Newcastle Eagles v Everton Tigers
Venue: Birmingham Arena Date: Sunday, 3 May Tip-off: 1530 BST
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Newcastle

Live: Newcastle Eagles BBL Play-off final commentary

BBL player of the year Trey Moore (left) and Fab Flournoy with the Play-off trophy back in 2007

Newcastle Eagles remain one of the most successful teams in British Basketball League history, but despite all the trophies, the hunger to continue winning remains strong as ever.

This season coach Fab Flournoy has led his side to the BBL Trophy and the league championship, and now on Saturday will lead his squad into the play-offs semi-finals against Plymouth Raiders.

After last year's disappointment - where Eagles were beaten in their semi-final and then by Plymouth in the third-place play-off - Flournoy is determined not to miss out on the silverware this time around.

"It can't be the same approach as last time because we lost the last time," Flournoy told BBC Newcastle.

"We want to make sure we keep everything consistent with what we've been doing all year and take it as one game and not put to much in it.

"We can't begin playing tight, or worried, or start doing things we haven't been doing all year.

"We have to maintain our composure and keep level heads."

Raiders have been something of a bogey team for Newcastle, having defeated them on their own patch in the BBL Trophy final in 2007.

But Flournoy is reluctant to describe his desire to beat Plymouth as 'revenge', and has played down any personal rivalry with Raiders coach Gary Stronach.

"I've gotten over that a long time ago, I don't like carrying baggage," he said. "That would lose my focus.

"I don't like being a revengeful person. For ourselves and Plymouth, we made it to the semi-finals last year and both got knocked out, for us this season we're trying to rewrite that and correct that.

"It's going to come to an end for one of us, and I'm pretty much hoping that it's them, and he's probably hoping that it's us."

Texan guard Trey Moore recently celebrated a terrific personal season with the BBL Most Valuable Player award, a prize he won ahead of Everton Tigers forward Andre Smith in late April.

And Moore is equally focused on team achievement, notably adding a play-off final win to his, and the club's collection of honours.

"It was an honour to get the award, and I'm happy that the coaches think so highly of me," Moore said.

"This is one of the best teams I've ever been in, on and off the floor because we're so together and everybody gets on so well.

"At the beginning of the season you don't know anybody and it's like coming into a new school but we just vibe, everybody works their tail off for the same reason, to try to win championships.

"We've got to go into this weekend positive, confident we can do what we've been doing and come out with another trophy."