Caledonia Gladiators men begin their journey to London’s O2 for the Playoff Finals, as the side welcomes nearest rivals, Newcastle Eagles, to PlaySport tomorrow at 7:45 PM for the first leg of the Quarter-Final, coming into the game with the best Championship seeding (3rd) that the club has achieved since 2017.
The two sides have matched up well this season, and the games between the sides have been full of action and drama. Across four Championship games, the sides split the series 2-2, each team winning one game at home, and one on the road. Most recently, on the road in Newcastle at the end of March, Quade Green’s 32 points helped secure a solid 84-90, a result that would prove crucial in the Gladiators’ push to 3rd place.
Newcastle, finishing sixth in the regular season, have a star-studded roster of well-remembered British Basketball League talent, with ex-Glasgow Rock, Jordan Johnson leading the scoring for them – putting up 18.3 PPG, closely followed by ex-Plymouth Raider, Ricky McGill who contributes 17.9 points a game. They have, however, seen the importance of veteran Darius Defoe in recent weeks, who has led squads in Newcastle to 27 trophies in his time in the North East.
For the Gladiators, the recent surge of new-face Quade Green has been the key to their success in the last few weeks. His impressive 23.5 points a night would lead the league (had he played enough games), in a historic run that sees him as having one of the best starts in franchise history.
Sponsored by WM Donnelly, the game is set to be an exciting one, with the chance of taking a huge advantage in the quarter-final’s best of three-game series.
Tickets for leg one are available HERE, with final tip-off times to be announced for leg three (if required) in the coming days.
