Caledonia Gladiators came out with a sensational 116-110 victory after a huge overtime performance and 37-point outing from Player of the Month Quade Green.
The Caledonia Gladiators came into the game off the back of an 89-95 win last Saturday against Surrey Scorchers, and with a Championship record of 20-12, they looked to secure a 21st win on the season.
The Cheshire Phoenix came to Scotland having just won 86-81 win against Surrey Scorchers less than 24 hours earlier, they were just ahead of Caledonia heading into the game 21-12.
The game started with traded buckets, but then Cheshire went on a 5-0 run to lead 2-7. Fraser Malcolm got the bucket to respond to the Nix’s run, the traded baskets continued during the quarter, Cheshire then went on a further run – followed by traded buckets again, the theme of the game so far. By the end of the first quarter that included just about everything, the sides went into the first break tied at 27-27.
The second quarter started with a 3-pointer from Fraser Malcolm, before traded 3-pointers kept the teams level at 30 apiece. The period remained back and forth with Fraser Malcolm showing his scoring prowess early on, leading the way for Caledonia. By the half-time buzzer, Cheshire had maintained a 2-point lead at 49-51.
Quade Green led all scorers with 14 points for Caledonia, while Laquincy Rideau was Cheshire’s top scorer with 12.
Bucket-for-bucket play continued throughout the beginning of the half, with a Patrick Whelan game-tyer at 59 building fan excitement in a sold-out PlaySport. Caledonia then went on a strong run before and after the TV timeout, going on an eventual 12-0 scoring streak. By the end of the third, Cheshire had made their way back into the ball game, with some impressive play of their own – bringing the game to 71-70 after thirty minutes.
The 4th quarter started with a 3-pointer from Fraser Malcolm who had impressed all evening with 15 points. The game remained tight as ever with Caledonia vs Cheshire games, with the teams proving the exciting matchup which has been clear since last year’s Trophy Final. With the game on the line, and Cheshire up 3 with seconds remaining, Lukas Palyza tied the game at 98 to take the game to overtime.
With both teams missing early chances in overtime, Caledonia started to impress with a huge scoring run that all but secured their lead. Their advantage constantly grew throughout, and as the final buzzer went, Gladiators had taken a huge 116-110 victory over their new-found rivals.
The full-time leading scorer for the Gladiators was Quade Green with 37 points, as Fraser Malcolm also contributed well with an impressive 23 points in a rare start.
Following an away trip to Sheffield, facing the Sharks on Sunday, Gareth Murray’s side take on Plymouth City Patriots at home a week today. Get your tickets HERE!
