Manchester fall to Newcastle Eagles in Super League Basketball Playoff Quarter-Finals

Manchester Basketball’s 2024-25 season came to a close after they fell to Newcastle Eagles in the Quarter-Finals of the Super League Basketball Playoffs.

Manchester won the Second Leg 87-84 in front of a sold out home crowd, but they needed an eight point win after losing the First Leg 78-71 in Newcastle, and therefore fell five points short of the Semi-Final.

DJ Mitchell’s 26 points led the team, and his dramatic late three gave Manchester hope in the final seconds, bringing the tie to within a score.

Star guard Makai Ashton-Langford had a shot from halfcourt to tie the affair with three seconds on the clock, and despite claims of a foul, came up empty handed from the attempt to conclude the action.

Seneca Knight and Mike Okauru were the stars of the evening for Newcastle. They led the visitors with 22 and 21 points respectively, allowing them to survive the late Manchester charge.

Manchester tie the fixture in positive first half

Manchester never led the aggregate score over the course of the Second Leg, but they tied it up in the second quarter following a positive start.

Zak Irvin capped off a 6-0 run with 1:29 left in the half, making the score on the night 50-43, and tying the aggregate at 114. Irvin had 10 points in the first half after hitting two triples in the opening period, and finished the game with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Eagles hit back to four unanswered points, however, and Manchester led by three on the night going into the half.

Despite Mitchell hitting a three to start the second half to bring Manchester back to within one point, their second quarter lead proved to be the host’s biggest of the evening.

Third quarter proves costly for Manchester

Ultimately, the tie was lost at the end of the third period. The score swung back and forth in a closely fought battle until midway through the quarter, until the Eagles found separation in the scoreline with Knight and Okauru.

The duo combined for 8 points in five minutes for the visitors as they made the aggregate lead 16. Newcastle went on an 8-2 run, the score was 69-60 in their favour, and Manchester needed to dig deep to battle back from there.

Dig deep they did, through Marcus Delpeche and Mitchell who scored five quick points to cut into their deficit, but Manchester faced a 15 point aggregate hole going into the fourth.

Manchester fall short despite late heroics

Manchester’s miraculous comeback started at the midpoint of the fourth, as Mitchell drained back-to-back threes and sparked life into their cause. Irvin followed with a bucket to make it an 8-0 run and only a three point aggregate deficit.

Cody John, making an and-one play, piled the pressure onto Newcastle with a minute and a half remaining, bringing the aggregate difference to two points. However Trey Pulliam, who stepped up to score five points in the clutch, responded with two unanswered scores.

Mitchell, throwing up a prayer with his side down four on aggregate, drained a transition three to send the home crowd into raptures with nine seconds remaining.

Christian James hit both of his resulting free throws, meaning with seven seconds left, Manchester needed another triple. Ashton-Langford couldn’t find the answer however, and the hosts fell agonisingly short.

An Eagles run at the end of the third period proved costly to Manchester. They made a run late, and Cody John’s and-one made the aggregate difference one point with 1:32 on the clock. However Newcastle did just enough to get over the line and progress.

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