Raiders bid to upset the defending BBL champs

PLYMOUTH Raiders coach Gary Stronach will call for a high intensity display to upset the defending BBL champions.

Newcastle Eagles visit the Pavilions in the league on Sunday (4pm).

They have won back-to-back league titles and were only denied a clean sweep of all four BBL trophies last season by Everton Tigers in the BBL Cup.

Eagles, led by player-coach Fab Flournoy, are on course again this year and currently top the standings with a 6-1 record.

Raiders are 0-4 and bottom.

Stronach said: "Obviously we know Sunday's a massive challenge; and we know Newcastle are a juggernaut.

"We're playing a very good team who have been at the top the last few years – but we're looking forward to it."

Eagles, despite the contrast in the teams' current fortunes, are taking the contest seriously and staying over Saturday night in the South West.

Flournoy said: "Plymouth have by far the hardest venue in the league to get a result from. Their crowd are fantastic.

"We will have to be focused to make sure we get the right result."

Raiders lost back-to-back in the league last weekend, 102-80 to Milton Keynes Lions and 67-55 to Sheffield Sharks.

They led both contests before half-time, but were guilty of dropping their intensity, mentally and physically, and paid a heavy price after the break.

Stronach, who remains without key forward James Noel (Achilles) long-term, said: "Unfortunately we made key turnovers at the wrong time.

"Our intensity has to be high at both ends of the floor.

"Every Newcastle player is capable of scoring 20 points in this league.

"We've got to make them take shots as tough as possible and, top of the list, we have to limit their second chances offensively.

"We know we're undersized – we've talked about it – so it comes down to everybody rebounding the ball."

Lions and Sharks both convincingly outrebounded Raiders, who are small this season and desperately miss Noel's presence.

Sharks capitalised and outscored Raiders 21-8 in second chance points.

Stronach was encouraged by a better defensive effort against Sharks, who pulled clear in the third frame which they utterly dominated 21-5.

Raiders' defence remains the worst in the league.

But Stronach said: "We showed we can hang with top teams, but we've got to control the tempo.

"We can't afford to give Newcastle good, open looks at our basket and waste opportunities ourselves at the offensive end."

Raiders are led this season inside by power-forward Tino Valencia and centre Matt Hilleary, who are averaging 18.0 and 15.5 points per game this season.

Guard Allister Gall is averaging 13.8 points a night in support.

But Raiders rank second-bottom in the league in field-goal percentage, and bottom in three-point percentage.

Stronach said: "At the end of the day, you've got to make shots in basketball – whether it's a lay-up or a three from the outside.

"Obviously we've got to do more offensively.

"You look at the stats against Sheffield and in a low-scoring game like that you need five key starters scoring 10-16 points. We didn't have that; we had three.

"But we've got to keep working hard and take the positives and work on the negatives, and move on, because there's no bigger game than this Sunday."

Eagles employ a seven-man rotation this season, but, underlining their all-round class, are led by forward Charles Smith (18.0 points per game) who comes off the bench.

Guards Joe Chapman and Reggie Jackson have started the campaign well and are averaging 16.6 and 16.0 points per game respectively.

Power-forward Lynard Stewart adds 14.7 points a game up front.

Stewart missed the second half of last season with a knee injury, and effectively replaces forward Tafari Toney, who left Tyneside this summer for Sharks.

Guard, and reigning league Most Valuable Player, Trey Moore also left Eagles in their main change during the off-season.

Moore, like former Raiders Drew Lasker and Gaylon Moore, remains a free agent as clubs throughout Europe batten down the hatches and ride out the recession.

In Moore's place, Eagles recruited Chapman, 25, from Mexican club Caballeros.

The 6ft 4in American is a third-year professional and had 21 points in Eagles' last victory, 99-72 over visitors Essex Pirates.

Chapman shot 5/8 three-pointers and helped Eagles destroy Pirates 36-9 from the three-point line.

Stronach said: "We've got to close down Chapman and defend the three-point line.

"We've seen game-tape of him. He's got good range on his shot and is probably a better shooter than Trey Moore.

"He's not as explosive as Moore, and isn't as good if he puts the ball on the floor, but he's bigger."

Stronach added: "Fab has had a lot of his players for a long time and Newcastle just get it done.

"We will be challenged one-five, in every position. They are very dangerous.

"Inside Darius Defoe and Lynard Stewart are very good. Defoe is very athletic and Lynard is a very tough player.

"Size-wise, we're not that far away from their starting-five, but they can bring Charles Smith off the bench and go big which will create mismatches."

Flournoy said: "Gary Stronach has done a great job in Plymouth over the years.

"They are not as strong as previous years, but have been competitive in most of their games.

"He will have them well prepared for this one."