Newcastle double to come for the Sharks this weekend
Super League Basketball Championship
There is a double dose of Newcastle Eagles coming up for the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks this weekend. The Sharks head to Tyneside on Friday evening before welcoming Coach Marc Steutel’s side back to the Canon Medical Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles currently sit in fourth place in the standings with a 10-12 record but it is their European exploits that have caught the eye this season. A place in the ENBL Final Fours, where they will play Dziki Warszawa, demonstrates that the Eagles will provide tricky and testing opposition for the Sharks, with all eyes on two keenly-contested games on the court.
Friday – Eagles v Sharks – Vertu Motors Arena – 7.30pm
Watch - https://www.dazn.com/en-GB/fixture/ContentId:d26z78fvy2euynv72wrl734t0/d26z78fvy2euynv72wrl734t0
Sunday – Sharks v Eagles – Canon Medical Arena – 4.00pm
Tickets - https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Fixtures?fanStoreType=Fixtures&clubId=216
Ones To Watch
Mike Okauru – Newcastle fell a little short in their last game down in Leicester but influential guard Okauru demonstrated why is key to the Eagles. His 19 points was only marginally short of a season average of 20.4 and also came with 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Trey Pulliam – Mid-season recruit Pulliam weighed in with 14 against the Riders on 63% shooting but couldn’t prevent Newcastle slipping to a 99-81 loss. Contributing 4.5 assists per game since his arrival in the North East.
De’sean Allen-Eikens – Under the radar do-it-all player who made three big shots from distance in the Leicester loss. Finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in the Midlands but was unable to stop the Eagles 12 defeat last Friday.
Cole Long – A man to keep off the 3 point line! Knocks down 41% of his shots from beyond the arc and so can be dangerous given an opening from distance. Averages 10.6 points per game for the campaign.
Last Meeting
December 27th 2024 – Newcastle Eagles 84 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks 92
Shark Bites
The Sharks go into their game with Newcastle on Friday at the Vertu Motors Arena having won on 11 of their 16 visits when the Eagles have been the home team.
The Sharks have won the Championship head-to-head between the clubs in each of the last 6 seasons, after losing the previous 11.
Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Sharks have won 17 of the 20 Championship games played against the Eagles.
This weekend will see the Sharks play the same opposition in consecutive Championship games for just the 17th time in their 31 season history. Of those 17, this will be the 5th where the opposition is provided by Newcastle.
SharkNation
Calling all the ‘Baller Moms’! Let the kids take care of you for a change. Tell them to hook you up with a ticket for Sunday afternoon’s big game with the Eagles, grab a cheeky drink and something to eat and settle into your seat at the Canon Medical Arena for some stress-free entertainment. Ticket link at the top of the page and ok, we’ll allow the family to come too! Seriously, we have some huge games to come in the Tank and we will need you guys to support us all of the way. These Sharks are hungry for more so nobody better fly too close to the water. It’s time to #FearTheFin!
Image
Josh Rackham
