The Caledonia Gladiators travelled to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon to take on Liverpool Basketball in their latest Super League Basketball Championship matchup, looking to pick up another important win on the road.
The home side got off to a fast start at the M&S Bank Arena, finding their rhythm offensively early and putting up 38 points in the opening quarter. The Gladiators worked to keep pace, with Christian Keeling and Al-Amir Dawes providing an early scoring presence, but Liverpool’s shooting proved difficult to contain as they took a 38 – 21 lead into the second period.
Liverpool continued to build on their advantage in the second quarter, making the most of their opportunities from the field and maintaining their offensive pressure. The Gladiators responded with contributions across the floor, but the home side added another 27 points to take a 65 – 49 lead into the half.
Coming out of the break, the Gladiators looked to find a way back into the contest, with Dawes continuing to lead the scoring effort alongside Keeling. Isiah Small also made an impact on both ends of the floor, while the team looked to generate opportunities and cut into Liverpool’s advantage. However, the hosts continued to find answers offensively, adding another 27 points in the third quarter to extend their lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Gladiators continued to battle in the fourth, but Liverpool maintained control of the contest to see out the victory, with their offensive efficiency proving a major difference throughout the afternoon. The home side finished shooting 55% from the field, including 17 three-pointers, while also recording 51 rebounds and 23 assists.
Al-Amir Dawes led the Gladiators with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, while Christian Keeling added 18 points and Isiah Small contributed 17 points and eight rebounds. Terry Roberts and Braxton Williams also finished with 9 points apiece.
Despite a strong individual scoring effort from the Gladiators, Liverpool proved too strong on the afternoon, with the game finishing 119 – 93 in favour of the hosts.
The men will now look to regroup ahead of their return to Playsport Arena next Sunday, November 15, where they will welcome the Leicester Riders for their next Super League Basketball Championship fixture.
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