NEWCASTLE'S eight-game winning streak came to a shuddering halt in the NBL1 East Conference men's game at Maitland Federation Centre on Saturday night as the Falcons suffered a humbling 93-71 loss to their archrival Mustangs.
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One of the most anticipated games of the year turned out to be an anti-climax as Maitland quickly seized control and Newcastle went from bad to worse in easily their worst performance this season.
Led by point guard Will Cranston-Lown (19 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals) and "bigs" James Hunter (17 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots) and Matt Gray (14 points, seven rebounds, two steals, two blocks), Maitland controlled the tempo to build a 48-29 lead by half-time.
The margin blew out to as many as 28 points during the third quarter as Maitland made a mockery of Newcastle's reputation as the best defensive team in the league.
The Mustangs were in complete control leading 71-47 heading into the fourth quarter, and by the final siren, they had racked up more points against the Falcons than any team had posted this year.
In the absence of post partner Tom Dawson, who was bed-ridden with the flu, Falcons big man Myles Cherry struggled to put his usual stamp on proceedings and the Mustangs did an effective job double-teaming him and forcing him out of his comfort zone.
Cherry led the Falcons with 18 points and 18 rebounds, Ryan Beisty was clearly hampered by a foot injury in posting 16 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Matur Maluach was restricted to just eight points and one rebound as he battled flu symptoms.
Newcastle coach Peter Astley struggled to explain his team's lacklustre effort.
They just handed it to us.
- PETER ASTLEY
"You could point to some of those things I suppose but we've got no excuses at all. They just handed it to us," Astley said. "We turned up with the wrong attitude, they punished us for it, and they taught us a lesson in all of the effort areas.
"They did what they liked, and we played like we were just happy to run up and down the floor, going through the motions.
"We played for ourselves instead of playing as a team, and we've prided ourselves on playing as a team. We've built our season on playing as a team.
"All the things we've been so good at in building that winning streak, executing at both ends of the floor and working hard for each other, they just weren't there. We were never in it."
Maitland converted at 47.4 per cent from the field to Newcastle's 37.5 per cent, and out-rebounded the Falcons 48-43.
Despite suffering their first loss since April 9, Newcastle remained tied for top spot with an 8-3 win-loss record because co-leaders Canberra Gunners (8-3) went down 86-82 to Norths on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in the women's match, American import Nicole Munger scored an equal game-high 22 points on debut to help Newcastle end a three-game losing skid with an 80-57 victory over Maitland.
The Falcons took their time to establish their dominance and only led 36-34 at half-time.
But Munger, who also had seven rebounds, two assists and a steal, and Chyra Evans (22 points, eight rebounds, one steal), scored at will in the paint and from the perimeter to take the game away from Maitland in the second half.
Newcastle captain Megan Johnson (14 points, nine rebounds, two assists) and guard Kate Kingham (nine points, eight rebounds, five steals, three assists) also made valuable contributions.
The win kept Newcastle in sixth position with a 6-4 record leading into a home game against Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles next Saturday night.