The Gladiators dug in deep at the Playsport and mounted a ferocious fight from start to finish, but the Sharks ultimately held firm to take the 73-65 victory.

Caledonia opened strong, free throws, lay-ups and timely buckets from Kevin Allen and Ria’n Holland helped them strike first and force Sheffield into early timeouts. By the end of the first quarter, it was 18-16 in favour of the Gladiators, and the Gladiators pressed on into the second, extending their margin to 35-30 at half-time.

In the third, the Gladiators kept the pressure on. Holland and Matthew Ragsdale hit aggressive threes, the defence ramped up, and Caledonia felt the momentum tilting. The Sharks brought the game close towards the closing moments of the third quarter, taking the one point lead in the last 2 seconds of quarter 3. With the momentum shifted in the favour of the Sharks, at a tight game of 50 – 51 entering the final quarter, both teams would have to keep fighting.

In the final quarter Sheffield stretched the lead through smart execution and key free throws, while the Gladiators’ surges came just short. With under five minutes to play, the gap widened, and despite Caledonia’s refusal to back down, the Sharks closed it out.

Though the scoreboard didn’t swing their way, the Gladiators proved they can fight in the trenches. From early aggression to late pressure, their character was obvious, now the challenge is turning those battles into wins. The Gladiators refocus as they head out on the road to take on the Bristol Flyers on Friday the 14^th before they come back to Playsport to take on the Surrey 89ers on Sunday the 16^th of October