The most successful franchise in British Basketball League history will be based at the country’s newest indoor arena in a move guaranteed to take North East basketball to the next level.
Newcastle Eagles have announced their new home will be Northumbria University’s £30m Sport Central complex.
Fabulous Flournoy’s title-winning roster will play out of the venue’s 3,000-capacity indoor arena – home to this month’s Eurobasket qualifier between Team GB and FYR Macedonia.
And the move further strengthens a partnership which has seen the Eagles work closely with Team Northumbria’s EBL men’s and women’s basketball squads for several seasons.
Northumbria University’s new Sport Central home was opened by Great Britain men’s basketball team in exhilarating fashion as they beat Macedonia 104-96 in overtime.
Northumbria's new home bore witness to a tight and exciting game which needed a stunning Luol Deng three-point shot to send the game into overtime.
From then on GB never looked back and dominated the extra period to make it two wins out of two in qualifying for Eurobasket 2011.
Head coach Chris Finch said: “Even though we were behind at certain points in the game and gave up our lead I felt we mostly controlled the game.”
With less than 24 hours to go before Team GB look to destroy Macedonia's 100% record, skipper Drew Sullivan has filed his final exclusive diary entry from inside the camp.
Back in the North East and determined to bag another win in front of his Newcastle fans the experienced forward can't wait to hit the Sport Central court.
And Sulli has been loving every minute of life inside Northumbria's state-of-the-art £30m venue.
The best new basketball venue in Britain has been handed a glowing endorsement by the man charged with delivering London 2012 glory.
Team GB coach Chris Finch is already at home inside Northumbria University’s stunning Sport Central after back-to-back practice sessions at the £30m facility.
And now the experienced playcaller has called on the North East public to pack the 3,000-seat arena ahead of Macedonia’s visit to Tyneside on Sunday.
“Sport Central is world class,” said Finch. “It’s on a level with anything you’d find on the American college scene and it’s not even finished yet.
“It’s great. It’s the perfect size for basketball – roomy and bright – and I’m looking forward to seeing what it looks like all laid out and with fans in the house on Sunday.”
Team GB touch down on Tyneside on Tuesday on the back of a brilliant opening night win in Eurobasket qualifying.
Chris Finch's men picked up a vital victory in Hungary on the back of a game high 32 from Chicago Bull Luol Deng (pictured) and a double double from fellow NBA star Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
And GB will train at Northumbria's Sport Central for the first time on Wednesday before welcoming fellow opening night winners Macedonia to Newcastle on Sunday.
The former Yugoslav republic were in convincing form in the Ukraine and continue their Group B campaign at home to Hungary on Thursday.
