The Caledonia Gladiators headed down south to finish off their Super League Basketball Championship against the Leicester Riders. With the Riders still fighting for 2nd place in the Championship and the higher playoff seed, the Gladiators were in for a intense game on the road. A tough first half saw the Gladiators enter half time with a 20-point deficit to overcome. A better second half would see the Riders unable to increase their lead, but the Gladiators would be unable to cut into the lead either, with the second half between the two teams being equal and the Gladiators finishing the game still down by 20-points.
With the Playoffs in sight, the Riders took a quick lead on their home court, starting the game off with a 8-0 run before the Gladiators were able to get onto the scoreboard. The Gladiators found themselves down by double digits early in the first quarter of action. The Riders kept up the offensive pressure throughout the first quarter, keeping their double-digit lead for the remainder of the quarter. The Gladiators found themselves down by 14-points by the end of the first quarter, with a tough battle ahead. The score at the end of first quarter was 29 – 15 to the Leicester Riders.
Desperate to not let the game get out of hand, the Gladiators fought hard to cut the Riders lead in early the second quarter. They would be able to cut the lead to 11-points before the Riders turned up the intensity and became to reclaim their strong lead. The Riders quickly took a 18-point lead within the first five minutes of the second quarter and maintain their lead throughout. The Riders strong offense under the basket would see them finish the first half with a 20-point lead.
The score at half time was 54 – 34 to the Leicester Riders.
The Gladiators began to fight back in the third quarter of action, cutting the Riders lead to just 8-points by the start of the fourth quarter. The Gladiators finished the third quarter on a 9 to 3 run to help them cut the deficit to single digits, and having a strong offensive quarter, converting their opportunities from the free throw line at a high percentage. The score for the quarter was 18 – 26 to the Caledonia Gladiators. The score entering the final quarter was 72 – 60 to the Riders, but the game was anyone’s to play for after a tough first half for the Gladiators.
The Gladiators were unable to capitalise on their strong third quarter performance, the score for the quarter being identical to the third but flip between the two teams. The Riders would regain their 20-point lead to finish off the game in front of their home crowd. The Riders started the final quarter well, quickly doubling their lead from 8 to 16-points in the first two and a half minutes of the quarter. The Riders would take the 98 – 78 win at home at the Mattioli Arena.
The score at the end of the game was 98 -78 to the Leicester Riders.
The Caledonia Gladiator season has come to an end for the 2024/25 season. We look forward to welcoming you back to Playsport for the 2025/26 season. Thank you to our fans for their continued support throughout.
