Cheshire Phoenix suffered their first defeat on the road in the BBL this season after they were on the wrong end of a 118-80 result at Newcastle Eagles.
Last year's league MVP Charles Smith went for a triple-double as Fab Flournoy's Newcastle extended their winning start to the season to seven games at Sport Central on Friday night.
The defending champions continue to set the pace after hitting three figures for the first time this season with a display of high-level execution on both ends of the floor.
The Eagles' depth told as seven players scored in double figures, Smith leading the way with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Phoenix, who had won all three of their games on the road prior to their visit to Tyneside appeared ready for the fight early on, leading by three points after the opening 10 minutes.
But when Stuart Thomson connected from downtown to open the second period it sparked a 14-4 run and the hosts never looked back.
The Eagles' efficiency was highlighted by their 37 assists and just seven turnovers while Drew Lasker underlined their dominance with a triple to beat the third-quarter buzzer.
Phoenix were paced by new signing Kinu Rochford's 27 points, but were never in contention after their good start and slip to a 3-3 record.
