Caledonia Gladiators fell to a 101–78 road defeat against Manchester Basketball in a fast-paced Championship matchup at the National Basketball Performance Centre.

Manchester came out firing and quickly set the tempo, pushing the pace from the opening minutes and building an early lead they would not surrender. The game remained high tempo throughout, with both teams trading quick possessions and shots, but the Gladiators struggled to slow the momentum of the home side.

The Gladiators found it difficult to slow the momentum after Manchester’s early surge. Turnovers proved costly for the Gladiators, committing 18 on the night, which allowed the hosts to capitalise in transition and maintain control of the scoreboard. There were positives offensively for the Gladiators, however, who shot an efficient 41% from three-point range (12/29) despite the difficult road result.

A late highlight came from Nino Satha of the Caledonia Blues, who saw his first road minutes with the Gladiators and scored two points in the closing moments. The basket moved his Gladiators career total to five points, building on his previous outing with the team at home and marking another step forward for the young guard.

The Gladiators return home on Sunday, looking to bounce back against the Cheshire Phoenix as the SLB Championship season reaches it final months of action.