Essex Rebels 74 – 70 Caledonia Gladiators

The Gladiators kick off the 2025/26 SLB Championship with a battle on the road to the Essex Rebels that would go down to the final seconds of the game. The Gladiators arrived on the road and dug in deep, fending off everything the Rebels threw at them and mounting a fierce challenge late in the game.

The Rebels would quickly set the tone on their home court, taking an early lead in the first half, not making it easy for the visitors. The Gladiators would find themselves down by double digits by the end of the first quarter, but they would mount their come back in the closing minutes of the first half. The score at the end of the first half was 35 – 29, with the Rebels taking a 6-point lead into the second half in Essex.

The second half would see a much closer affair between the two teams, as the Gladiators kept their momentum going to keep themselves in the game during the third quarter. Essex were able to keep their lead entering the final 10 minutes of action but they would struggle to keep the Gladiators at bay for long.

The Gladiators kicked off their comeback in the final quarter of action, tying the game within 5 minutes of the quarter at 61 points apiece. The final 5 minutes of action, there was little to separate the teams, but it would be the Rebels that would regain their lead and hold off a strong Gladiators comeback.  A close match-up in Essex today in a SLB Trophy Semi-Final Preview. The Gladiators will look to bounce back next week on the road to Manchester Basketball to continue their SLB Championship campaign.

Match Report brought to you by Best Betting Sites, learn more at https://www.bestbettingsites.co.uk