The Caledonia Gladiators welcomed fans to Playsport Arena on Sunday, November 1st, for a packed Spooktacular Doubleheader, with both the women’s and men’s teams taking to the court. The day delivered two very different contests, as the women produced a dominant 107–55 victory over Nottingham Wildcats before the men narrowly missed out in a hard-fought Battle of the Border against Newcastle Eagles, falling 92–99.
The women’s team got the day off to a flying start, taking control early against Nottingham Wildcats. A strong opening quarter saw the Gladiators build a 22–8 advantage before extending their lead further in the second, heading into half-time with a commanding 52–22 lead.
The home side continued to dominate after the break, adding another 34 points in the third quarter and maintaining their advantage throughout the final period to secure an emphatic 107–55 victory. It was a fantastic team performance, with contributions coming from across the roster. Ella Doherty led the scoring with 24 points, followed closely by Frannie Hottinger with 23. Doherty was rewarded for her standout performance with MVP honours. The result keeps the women undefeated and firmly at the top of the SLB Women’s Championship standings.
Next up was the men’s side, who welcomed Newcastle Eagles for the latest instalment of the Battle of the Border. The contest proved much closer, with both teams trading baskets throughout the opening quarter. The Gladiators edged the first 10 minutes 28–27 before building on their advantage in the second, taking a 54–49 lead into the half-time break.
Newcastle came out strongly after the interval, turning the game around with a 30-point third quarter to take control heading into the final 10 minutes. The Gladiators continued to fight and pushed to close the gap, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t quite get over the line as Newcastle Eagles secured the 92–99 road victory.
Following Sunday’s doubleheader, both Gladiators teams will head out on the road for their next set of fixtures next weekend. The men will then return to Playsport Arena on Sunday, November 15th, to welcome Leicester Riders as they look to get back to winning ways in front of the home crowd.
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