Newcastle Eagles defeat Cheshire 95-69 in BBL Championship

Darius Defoe: Starring role for Newcastle Eagles

Newcastle Eagles closed within two points of BBL Championship leaders Leicester Riders with a comfortable 95-69 home victory over Cheshire.

Darius Defoe led the way with 19 points for the Eagles, who have now won nine of their 10 games this season and have a game in hand on the Riders.

Charles Smith contributed 18 points and Kareem Maddox bagged 14.

The Eagles led for the vast majority of the game, and enjoyed a 31-point lead at 63-32 midway through the third quarter.

The London Lions are up to seventh place in the table after a superb final quarter saw them overcame Worcester Wolves 94-76 at home.

The Lions were trailing in the first three quarters - they were 19 points down after the opening quarter - but dug deep in the last 15 minutes for their fifth win of the season, with Orlan Jackman scoring 22 points.

They are now two points behind the fifth-placed Wolves with both teams having played 12 matches.

Third-placed Surrey Heat cruised to a 74-54 victory at Mersey Tigers, who lost their 10th game in succession, while Plymouth Raiders were 99-71 winners at Sheffield Sharks.

Michael Ojo's 23 points played a key part in the Raiders' victory as they continued to set their sights on the three teams above them in the table.