Caledonia Gladiators suffered a tough night on the road as they fell to the Newcastle Eagles at the Vertu Arena in Super League Basketball action on Friday evening.

Newcastle came out with strong offensive rhythm and set the tone early, building momentum through the opening quarter. The Eagles’ perimeter shooting proved particularly effective, knocking down threes at a high percentage to establish control of the game.

Despite the early deficit, the Gladiators battled throughout the first half. Contributions came across the lineup. The Gladiators had three joint top points effort with Matthew Ragsdale, Jett Speelman and LJ Bryan putting in 14 points. Lloyd Alvin Bryan Jr. Ethan Wright and Dwaine Jones Jr provided a spark with 13 and 11 points off the bench respectively.

Newcastle maintained their edge through the middle stages of the contest, capitalising on turnovers and continuing to find success from beyond the arc. The Eagles finished the night shooting 50% from three-point range, which proved difficult for the Gladiators to contain.

The Gladiators showed resilience in stretches, particularly on the glass where they held the rebounding advantage, but the hosts’ offensive efficiency kept them in command heading into the final quarter. The Gladiators continued to fight to close the gap late on, but the Eagles’ earlier runs ultimately proved decisive.

With the road trip ending in defeat, the Gladiators will quickly turn their attention to the next challenge. They return home this Sunday to face the Leicester Riders in a special Mother’s Day fixture, where they will look to regroup and bounce back in front of the home crowd.