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In front of a near capacity crowd at Playsport, the Caledonia Gladiators hosted the Oaklands Wolves in a SLB Trophy Final rematch. However, the result flipped as the Wolves would take revenge, winning the game by 8 and continuing their unbeaten record in the Super League Basketball Championship. In a competitive game, both teams showed why they were finalist, taking the game to the final quarter.
The first quarter saw the Oaklands Wolves take the quick lead at Playsport, desperate to remind the Gladiators that they are still the team to beat in the Super League Basketball Championship. The Wolves took a 2 – 11-point lead within the first two and a half minutes stunning the home crowd. Oaklands would take a 11-point lead with 4 minutes left of the first quarter, but the Gladiators would answer back quickly to cut the Oaklands lead to just 3 points at the end of the first quarter. The Gladiators would struggle from three-point range in the first quarter, scoring just one out of six attempts but having a strong inside presence helped them keep the score close entering the second quarter. The Wolves would win the first quarter 18 – 21.
The Wolves would remain in front for the rest of the half, increasing their lead to 7 by the end of the first half. The Wolves would come out swinging in the second quarter, pushing their lead to 9 in the first two minutes of the second quarter. The Gladiators didn’t let this distract them from the game at hand, focusing on their jobs and began trading baskets with the Wolves for the remainder of the quarter, with score at the half being 37 – 44 to the Oaklands Wolves.
The Half-Time score was 37 – 44 to Oaklands Wolves.
In the second half the Wolves would push their lead further early on, taking a 12-point lead at the halfway mark of the quarter. However, the Gladiators were not done fighting. With the roar of their fans behind them, the Gladiators would bring the score back even at the end of the third quarter. Clutch free throws by the team and some big threes from Kerry McGhee and Delaynie Byrne.
With the score even at 52 – 52 entering the final quarter of action, the game was anyone’s to grab. The game would remain close between the Gladiators and the Wolves throughout the first half of the final quarter, with the two teams still tied at 58 – 58 with only 5 minutes of action left at Playsport. As the quarter progressed, the Wolves began to separate themselves from the Gladiators. The Oaklands Wolves would go a run as they scored 8 unanswered points to finish the quarter, and the game. With intense defence on both sides the game would end 58 – 66 to the Oaklands Wolves. The Caledonia Gladiators look to bounce back next weekend as they stay at home to host the Nottingham Wildcats.
The Final Score was 58 – 66 to the Oaklands Wolves.
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