Match report by Scott Laidlaw
It was both teams’ last game of the regular season. Bristol came into this game with a record of 16 wins and 19 losses, placing them 7th. The Caledonia Gladiators arrived off the back of a 96-81 win at home against Plymouth City Patriots the previous Sunday, boasting a record of 22 wins and 13 losses, sitting 3rd in the table.
The starting five for Bristol were Tejon Lucas, Tevin Olison, Raphell Thomas-Edwards, and Brad Greene. For the Caledonia Gladiators, it was Mike Bothwell, Fraser Malcolm, Patrick Whelan, Clifton Moore Jr, and Lukas Palyza.
Bristol Flyers started the game with a 6-0 run, including 2 free throws, but the Gladiators then countered with a 0-7 run, with 5 points coming from Mike Bothwell, giving them their first lead. Both teams made errors, but Patrick Whelan’s 3-pointer pushed the Gladiators to an 8-10 lead going into the timeout. Bristol came out firing after the break, with Thomas-Edwards sinking their first 3-pointer, initiating a 7-0 run to lead 15-10. Despite both teams missing shots, Bristol had better luck with the ball. Caledonia struggled from the free-throw line, going 1 for 4 in the first quarter. They then went on a 0-5 run, making it a one-point game, with Bristol Flyers leading 17-16 against Caledonia Gladiators at the end of the first quarter.
Bristol scored the first points of the second quarter to tie the game at 21-21, then went on a 4-0 run to lead 23-21. Caledonia responded to tie the game at 23-23. Prince scored a bucket and completed a 3-point play after being fouled, giving the Gladiators a 1-point lead, 25-26. Bristol scored again to force Coach Murray into a timeout. Bristol continued their run, making it 29-26. With five minutes until halftime, it was Bristol Flyers 29-28 Caledonia Gladiators. Caledonia narrowed the gap to tie again at 31-31, but Bristol went on another 4-0 run to lead 35-31. The halftime score was Bristol Flyers 39-36 Caledonia Gladiators, setting the stage for an intense second half.
The leading scorers at halftime were Raphell Thomas-Edwards with 11 points for Bristol Flyers and Mike Bothwell with 9 points for the Caledonia Gladiators.
The third quarter started with traded buckets, keeping the Flyers’ 2-point lead. Gladiators hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the quarter, initiating a 0-5 run. With five minutes left in the quarter, it was Bristol Flyers 43-44 Caledonia Gladiators at the TV timeout. Flyers came out of the timeout with a 6-0 run to lead 47-44. However, the Gladiators responded with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 47-47 and then went on a 0-9 run to lead by 6 points, 47-53. The third quarter ended with Bristol Flyers trailing 51-55 against Caledonia Gladiators, setting up an exciting final quarter.
Caledonia Gladiators missed 2 free throws at the start of the fourth quarter, with the Flyers starting the quarter with a 5-2 run, narrowing the gap to 1 point. A timeout by Coach Murray saw the Gladiators respond with a 5-0 run, leading 56-62. With five minutes remaining, it was Bristol Flyers 60-67 Caledonia Gladiators. Both teams traded baskets to maintain the 7-point gap. Patrick Whelan’s 3-pointer extended the Gladiators’ lead to 10 points, 62-72. The Flyers then went on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit to 6 points, making it 66-72. The quarter ended with Bristol Flyers trailing 75-80 against Caledonia Gladiators.
The top scorers for the Bristol Flyers were Raphell Thomas-Edwards with 17 points and for the Caledonia Gladiators, it was Mike Bothwell with a stat line of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The MVP was Mike Bothwell with a stat line of 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.
🏀 Catch the Gladiators Women’s team in action this Sunday in our crucial meeting with Leicester Riders!
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