Cheshire Phoenix seem to have a habit of turning anybody into a rival. Every game feels like it means something, and more often than not, it delivers entertainment. Sunday night at Ellesmere Port Sports Village was no exception.

Without head coach Ben Thomas — serving a one-game suspension following his interaction with Rob Paternostro after the Leicester game a few weeks ago — responsibility fell to general manager and assistant coach James Brice, alongside Jack Hudson.

Despite winning the previous game against Newcastle on the night, the aggregate loss from the Trophy semi-final series still felt like a defeat, and Phoenix looked like a team keen to prove that across three games, they would have come out on top.

Early control without comfort

The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, but there was a sense that the Newcastle Eagles weren’t matching up with Cheshire in the same way they had during the Trophy games. Buckets were shared early, before a late flurry from Michael Diggins and Pat Robinson helped Phoenix close the quarter strongly, heading into the break 26–17 up.

Maceo Jack picking up two fouls in the opening quarter limited his impact, and Phoenix looked keen to exploit that in the second.

Phoenix finds its rhythm

Cheshire played a more physical game, targeting size mismatches in the post and consistently generating the shots they wanted — a clear contrast to the previous meetings. Shooting 7-of-13 from three in the first half and 54% from the field overall, the difference was stark.

Newcastle, by contrast, struggled to find rhythm, shooting just 33% from the floor as Phoenix pushed the lead out to 20 midway through the second quarter. To their credit, the Eagles responded to cut the deficit back to 14 by halftime. Robinson and Diggins each had 14 points at the break, while Newcastle were led by Okafor with nine.

A familiar Sunday-night script

Cheshire maintained control through much of the third quarter and into the fourth. Robinson continued to lead the way, while an improved showing from RaySean Taylor ensured Newcastle never quite went away. And, as anyone who watches Phoenix regularly knows, nothing after 7pm on a Sunday night at EPSV is ever straightforward.

After seemingly putting the game to bed more than once, Phoenix found themselves with a 99–90 lead and 90 seconds remaining. A Laquincy Rideau turnover led to a big Taylor three to make it 99–93. A minute passed without a score before Cole Long converted an and-one to cut it to 99–96, then a forced turnover on the inbound to return to the line and make it 99–98.

A foul on Skyler White sent him to the line, where he calmly knocked down two free throws to restore a three-point cushion at 101–98. On the final possession, Newcastle got a good look from Maceo Jack, which rimmed out, followed by a desperation three from Burden that also missed.

What the result really says

Despite Cheshire being largely comfortable for long stretches, Newcastle still had a chance to tie it at the buzzer. It’s never uneventful for Phoenix on a Sunday night at home — and just once, it would be nice to see one simply closed out without the drama.

This wasn’t a statement win, but it was an important one. Cheshire showed they can control games and respond under pressure, even without their head coach on the sideline — but it also highlighted how thin the margins become once ball movement stalls and tempo drops.

Newcastle will take confidence from how close they came, but for Cheshire the message is sharper: dominance has to be maintained, because at EPSV on a Sunday night, games are never truly over.

Pat Robinson once again led the way with 29 points in just 26 minutes, Michael Diggins marked his birthday with 17 points, and Jaxon Brenchley continued to show why he’s the glue that holds this team together — finishing with 11 points, including two clutch threes.