GET YOUR TICKETS for our upcoming fixtures!
The Caledonia Gladiators keep winning! The Gladiators make it three in a row, as they take down the Surrey 89ers in front of their home crowd, keeping their playoff hopes alive in this vital match-up. A tight game throughout the 40 minutes of action would see both teams fight for every ball and every basket, with the Gladiators taking the 9-point lead! The Gladiators won 90 – 81 against the 89ers.
The first quarter would see nothing between the two teams at Playsport, with the first 10 minutes ending in a 20 – 20 tie. A slow start for both teams would see the game go scoreless for the first three and a half minutes. It would be Surrey that drew first blood as they hit back-to-back threes to take the early lead. The 89ers would take a strong lead within minutes of getting their first points on to the board, taking a six-point lead. However, the Gladiators would quickly answer back, behind quick baskets from today’s MVP, Devearl Ramsey, and Gladiators Captain, Fraser Malcolm. The Gladiators would tie the game, 20 – 20, with a lay-up made with just 7 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Gladiators would take their first lead of the game in the second quarter and take the 8-point lead into half-time. The Gladiators would take the lead within seconds during the second quarter, stealing the ball and scoring on their first attempt of the second quarter. The Gladiators and 89ers would trade baskets in the first minutes of the quarter, with the lead change 3 times, but them both teams would struggle to covert, with neither team scoring for over two minutes. Fraser Malcolm would end the draught to tie the game at 25 a piece, and the Gladiators would start their run to take the lead. The Gladiators would score 8 unanswered points in 2 minutes to take the 8-point lead and held onto that lead for the remainder of the first half.
The first half ended 40 – 32 to the Caledonia Gladiators.
In a hunt for the playoffs themselves, the Surrey 89ers would answer back to start the second half of action at Playsport Arena. The 89ers would cut the Gladiators lead to just 2-points, with 10 minutes left of the game. Both teams would shoot well from behind the three-point line throughout the third quarter, but an unstoppable presence under the basket would help the 89ers get themselves back into the game. The two teams would trade baskets for much of the third quarter, with the Gladiators holding onto their 8-point lead for the first 6 minutes of action but a strong 4 minutes for the 89ers would see Mervin James and Cameron Gooden lead the 89ers to win the quarter, 22 – 28.
With everything left to play for at Playsport, both teams fought hard, but only one team could leave the arena with the win. The Caledonia Gladiators would outlast the 89ers and keep their lead, winning their third game in a row for the first time this season. The Gladiators would increase their lead again quickly to start the fourth quarter, regaining their 8-point lead within the first two minutes. However, the 89ers would recover and cut the lead to just one-point with seven minutes of action left. The first three minutes of the game would see both teams go on runs. The two teams would start to trade baskets, with many of the points being seen from the free throw line. Some big baskets from Toto Fagbenle, Devearl Ramsey and Trevond Barnes. Devearl Ramsey would lead his team to victory with 10 points in the fourth, and two difficult three-point makes to secure the game
.
The Gladiators would take the win, 90 – 81. The Gladiators head out on the road to take on the Bristol Flyers twice before return for a Easter special at Playsport.
Tonight’s MVP was Devearl Ramsey.
Top Performers:
Devearl Ramsey: 21 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists
Fraser Malcolm: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Trevond Barnes: 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Toto Fagbenle: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
