Caledonia Gladiators’ SLB Cup campaign came to an end on the road as they suffered a 99–69 defeat to the Surrey 89ers at Surrey Sports Park in the Cup Qualifier. The Gladiators were unable to find sustained momentum as Surrey asserted control early and steadily extended their advantage across all four quarters.

Surrey shot efficiently throughout the contest, finishing at 56% from the field and punishing The Gladiator inside with 52 points in the paint. Their ball movement and depth proved decisive, registering 27 assists and 35 bench points, while capitalising on Gladiators turnovers to generate 23 points. The Gladiators battled on the glass, narrowly trailing 31–30 in rebounds, but struggled to convert from beyond the arc, shooting 27% from three, and were unable to match Surrey’s physicality and tempo.

For the Gladiators, Matthew Ragsdale led the scoring with 16 points, while LJ Bryan added 15 points on efficient shooting inside. Jett Speelman chipped in with 13 points, but the visitors found it difficult to string together runs as Surrey’s lead grew to as many as 37 points. Kyle Jimenez worked hard on both ends, contributing across multiple categories, while Toto Fagbenle added energy and rebounding presence, yet the collective effort fell short against a well-drilled home side.

Despite flashes of resilience, particularly in stretches of the second and third quarters, Surrey maintained control of the game and closed it out comfortably to secure qualification. For the Gladiators, the result confirms their exit from the SLB Cup, bringing disappointment but also clarity of focus as attention now turns fully to league competition and building consistency moving forward.

The Gladiators will continue their road trip as they head to Sheffield to take on the Sharks in their next Trophy Group game. The Caledonia Gladiators will be back home to take on London Lions on Sunday 21^st of December as part of our Festive Double Header!