WORCESTER Wolves face one of their biggest matches of recent times tonight when they host British Basketball League leaders Newcastle Eagles (7pm).

Four points separate the sides going into the University of Worcester showdown as the title race hots up.

Wolves are the only team to have beaten the table-toppers this season, winning 94-86 on Tyneside in December with Tommy Freeman scoring 33 points.

Crucially, victory would also give Paul James’ side an unassailable 2-0 lead in the head-to-head stakes should the sides end the season with the same number of wins.

It took a stunning 42-point final quarter for Worcester to triumph on the Eagles’ court and James knows a repeat won’t be easy.

The Wolves director of basketball said: “This is going to be tough to do again and so we have to try and make a higher percentage of our shots throughout the whole of the game and not leave it to the final 10 minutes. It’s an important game for both teams who have hopes of winning the championship, but I think Newcastle are title favourites. On the night I’m expecting a real battle between two stroong teams that play a good style of basketball.

“The Eagles are the best team in the league. They are well drilled by Fab Flournoy and the players are in no doubt as to what is expected of them.”

Wolves are looking to put last Friday’s heart-breaking 74-73 loss at Sheffield Sharks behind them.

“Our game against the Sharks was a missed opportunity, but we are still learning and will keep playing in a way that we feel is right for the players we have,” James said.

“We did not play to our potential and left it too late to do anything about it, so we must learn from it.”

Eagles player-coach Flournoy knows the game could prove key in the destination of the title.

He said: “We set a target of winning the head-to-head against every other team in the league.

“Last year the only team to take us head-to-head was Mersey and they were the only team to finish above us in the league — so we really need to get this game to keep the series against Worcester alive.”