BBL Trophy: Newcastle Eagles beat Team Solent Kestrels 96-94 in overtime

Rahmon Fletcher produced a virtuoso performance to lead Newcastle Eagles to their seventh BBL Trophy win, 96-94 in overtime, against giant-killers Solent.

Fletcher scored 29 points and veteran centre Darius Defoe added 23 in a pulsating finale in Glasgow.

Solent, the first second-tier team to reach a BBL final, came from 14 points down in the last quarter to force overtime and had shots to win the game.

Elliott Sentance led their scoring with 26 points and Travis Charles added 20.

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In what could be the last top-flight basketball game in Britain this season, Newcastle arrived without three players, including third-top scorer Mike Morsell, who had opted to return to their home countries because of the coronavirus.

The Eagles still had veteran guard Fletcher and 6ft 10in American centre CJ Gettys - who won the most valuable player award for his all-around performance of 21 points and 17 rebounds.

But Fletcher, a known big-game player and two-time player of the year, looked keen to win the final single-handedly in the first half, when he scored 19 points as his team led 46-45 at the interval.

NBL champions Team Solent Kestrels, described by Eagles coach Ian MacLeod as "a BBL team in all but name", looked exactly that, always matching the Eagles physically and looking assured of the shots they took in a high-scoring first half.

Newcastle gained the game's first double-digit lead towards the end of the third quarter, when veteran forward Defoe scored seven points in a 17-6 run, but the fourth quarter started with a 10-0 run for the Kestrels, suggesting the non-leaguers had one more giantkilling act in them.

When they added another eight without reply, they were back in the lead and the strain of trying to win the game with just six players appeared to be taking its toll on the Eagles.

Ahead by a point at the start of the last minute, Newcastle missed a three and then saw Travis Charles miss a two for Solent, who also spilled the rebound.

After Gettys missed one of two free throws, Ian Smith fed Charles for a dunk to tie the game 87-87 and force overtime.

In the extra period, Gettys had six of Newcastle's points as they secured the win but the Eagles had to survive a last shot from TrayVonn Wright which could have won the game for Solent.

Newcastle Eagles point guard Rahmon Fletcher told BBC Sport:

"We knew it was going to be a tough game - we only had six players and a couple coming back from injury and we had to ride it out to the end.

"I think experience took over. Solent are a great team - a well-coached team with some great individuals."

"I felt it was right that I played in the trophy final no matter what happens next. But I'll be flying out (home to USA) tomorrow.

Team Solent Kestrels head coach Matt Guymon told BBC Sport:

"I'm so proud of our guys - we're a resilient team and we're bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

"The character of the group of players we have, we're never out of a game, so I knew we were going to make a run.

"But those six (Newcastle) players are veteran BBL guys - they're very good basketball players and they showed their quality."