The Caledonia Gladiators were unable to secure a home victory on Sunday afternoon, falling 91–80 to the Leicester Riders in front of a sold-out crowd at Playsport Arena.
With the home support behind them, the Gladiators made a competitive start to the contest, keeping pace with the Riders during the opening quarter. The Riders would take a marginal, 1 point advantage into the second quarter of action. However, Leicester began to find their rhythm in the second period, putting together a strong spell of scoring to build a significant advantage and take control heading into half-time. The Gladiators would struggle offensively during the 10 minutes of the second quarter on the Playsport court.
The Gladiators came out after the break determined to respond, putting 25 points on the board in the third quarter as they looked to work their way back into the game. Matt Zona continued to make an impact at both ends of the floor, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Christian Keeling led the Gladiators’ scoring with 14 points.
Terry Roberts also contributed 12 points and 7 assists as the home side continued to battle throughout the final period. Despite their efforts, Leicester managed to maintain their advantage and see out the victory, leaving the Gladiators with an 11-point defeat on home court.
The Gladiators finished with 80 points, shooting 40% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc, while recording 23 assists and nine steals.
The Gladitors will now head into two consecutive away trips, Surrey on Thursday the 19th and Cheshire on Sunday 22nd, before the international break, with their next home appearance coming on Friday, 4 December, when they welcome Manchester Basketball to Playsport Arena.
A disappointing result for the Gladiators, but a huge thank you to all the fans who packed out Playsport Arena and brought the atmosphere for Sunday’s sold-out fixture. Your support never goes unnoticed.
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