FALCONS coach Josh Morgan has praised skipper Ryan Beisty for a captain's knock and hailed his side's defence as the difference in Newcastle's victory over Penrith on Saturday.
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In dual men's and women's NBL 1 East wins for Newcastle at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre, the Falcons overcame the Panthers 80-65 to notch their second victory this season.
Across 36 minutes of court time, Beisty scored 18 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds in a standout display.
It wasn't easy against the Panthers, who were desperate for a win after losing four of their opening five games.
"We got the job done," Morgan said. "There were some good parts and some parts where we need to drastically improve, but we defended really well.
"Ryan was his usual solid self and they had a lot of good rebounders, so he had to up his ante and he did that. He ended up with 16, and a lot of them were crucial because they were making a contest of that.
"He and Myles [Cherry] took control of that in the second quarter, we probably got out-rebounded in the first.
"So those two did the job there and ... we did a job defensively that was probably the difference in the end."
Cherry scored 13 and posted 11 rebounds. Francis Wineera-Mulvihill netted 14 points.
In a tight women's game, American import Nicole Munger scored more than half of Newcastle's overall points as the Falcons held off Penrith 80-75.
Playing increased minutes due to unbeaten Newcastle carrying a depleted bench, in 36 minutes Munger bagged 39 points, along with 15 rebounds.
Penrith charged home, outscoring Newcastle 24-18 in the last quarter, but the damage had already been done. Both Falcons sides are at home to Bankstown next Saturday.
