Gladiators’ women prepare for a huge double header this weekend, taking on both the London Lions and Newcastle Eagles at PlaySport this weekend on Friday and Sunday respectively.
The squad, which Chantelle Handy has coached in recent weeks, looks to build on solid form – remaining undefeated in the Championship since a sole December defeat to Sheffield Hatters on the road.
Caledonia Gladiators vs London Lions – 29th March – Women’s British Basketball League – 7:30 PM – Sponsored by POS Group
Caledonia Gladiators welcome London Lions to PlaySport at 7:30 PM in Women’s British Basketball League Championship action, the first of the weekend’s two games for the Scottish side.
Gladiators are yet to match up with Wolves in Championship action, however, it was the London Lions that knocked the Gladiators out of the Trophy competition with a 74-58 defeat for Miguel Ortega’s side in Oaklands. In the January game, Sam Roscoe and Laken James led the way for Caledonia – who were in the game for 3 quarters – with 19 and 18 points respectively. The capital city side spread their points evenly – Megan Gustafson put up 13, while Abby Meyers, Karlie Samuelson, Kat Snytsina, and Temi Fagbenle added 10 each.
Currently, in the league table, the Gladiators sit with a near-perfect 13-1 record, while the Lions remain undefeated – leading the pack with an impressive 12-0 record to go alongside their historic European achievements.
So far, whilst the scoring has been spread for the Gladiators, Sam Roscoe is leading all scorers for the squad with 10.9 PPG and 5.7 RPG – showcasing her skills inside and outside of the paint. Star-studded Lions have been led by Megan Gustafson, last year’s EuroLeague Women’s leading scorer, who scores 16.4 points a night, alongside 6 rebounds. Lions’ top five scorers all average above 12 points per game.
London Lions have been putting UK Basketball on the map in Europe with their impressive run continentally. They recently secured their spot in the EuroCup Women’s final after a two-legged win over Umana Reyer Venice, becoming the first British team to reach a major European final.
With the game sponsored by POS Group, the experience is set to be an exciting one – as the two best sides in the country battle it out in the continued race for 1st place. A win for Gladiators would be crucial if they were to hope for any chance to match the Lions as the leaders in the Women’s British Basketball League.
Get your tickets for the action HERE!
Caledonia Gladiators vs Newcastle Eagles – 31st March – Women’s British Basketball League – 5:00 PM – LIVE on BBC Sport Scotland
Caledonia Gladiators welcome their Northernmost opponents, Newcastle Eagles, to PlaySport on Sunday at 5:00 PM in Women’s British Basketball League Championship action to round off a busy weekend of action.
Gladiators matched up with the Eagles away from home earlier in the season, picking up a huge 49-90 victory in just their second domestic game. Yevheniia Putra showed out for the Gladiators, with a 20-point, 12-rebound, and 2-block outing securing her the game MVP award. For the hosts, Courtney Clasen led the way with 19 points and 8 rebounds of her own despite the team’s loss.
Newcastle Eagles currently sit in 6th – comfortably in the playoff positions, and ahead of 7th-placed Nottingham Wildcats by two points despite having two games in hand. In their last five, they have 3 wins and 2 losses, most recently with an extremely tough 74-76 defeat at the hands of the Sheffield Hatters in the Canon Medical Arena.
Tierra Hodges leads both the Eagles and the entire league in scoring. She puts up a huge 21.7 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Her statistical dominance earned her a spot in the all-star squad as a reserve this month in London.
The game is set to be broadcast LIVE on BBC Sport Scotland and will be an interesting outing as Eagles travel to PlaySport for the very first time, looking to bounce back from the weekend’s tough loss, and Gladiators look to continue on their hot form. Join us at PlaySport and try spot yourself on TV after the action!
Get your tickets for the weekend’s second game HERE!
Gladiators Men on the Road
Gareth Murray’s Gladiators are also on the road in a double-header of their own this week. They take on Newcastle Eagles this Thursday before travelling further south to Guildford, taking on Surrey Scorchers on Saturday.
At the Vertu Motors Arena on Thursday, the side is looking to even the Head-to-Head against Marc Steutel’s Eagles, who have won two games compared to the Gladiators’ one in this year’s battles. You can watch the action LIVE on the British Basketball League’s YouTube channel HERE!
Gladiators have the upper hand over Surrey so far this season and are looking to complete the 4-0 Championship sweep on Saturday at the Sports Park over Lloyd Gardner’s squad, having also defeated them in the Trophy group stage. The action will be streamed LIVE on the Women’s British Basketball League YouTube channel HERE!
