A phenomenal night for our Gladiators tonight as they faced a tough opponent, Ludwigsburg, at home this Halloween Eve. After falling to a 19-point deficit, our men fought back to win by 2, with tough baskets down the stretch by tonight’s MVP, Patrick Whelan.
A tough first quarter saw both teams come out fighting, with both teams trading baskets early. Fighting hard throughout the quarter saw Gladiators fall to a 4-point deficit, very much still left in the game as both teams were evenly matched.
A tough second quarter saw the Gladiators score a low 11 points during the 10 minutes of play. Strong defensive pressure from Ludwigsburg created a challenge for the Gladiators, leaving them 11 points behind entering halftime.
The second half started tough for Gladiators, with Ludwigsburg going on a 7-0 run in the first 2 minutes, to go up by 18 points. However, thanks to the strong shooting from three and the free throw line and the defensive play of the whole team the Gladiators were able to bring the deficit back to 12 points with a last second three pointer from Patrick Whelan.
With a 12-point deficit looming, the Gladiators came back swinging. Toto Fabenle cutting the lead back to 7 within the first minute and a half of the final quarter. Strong shooting from three, and undying spirit helped the Gladiators fight their way back toward the end of the final quarter.
The atmosphere in East Kilbride tonight kept the energy up and gave our players to energy to push on and overcome a 12-point deficit going into the final quarter. With the crowd on their feet, and the walls shaking from the cheers, the men raced back to take a 3-point lead with 24 seconds left, behind a silencing 4-point play by Patrick Whelan. With tense 24 seconds left, and everyone on the edge of their seat. Gladiators were able to secure the win.
A huge European Victory in Playsport tonight for Gladiators as they toppled top German side Ludwigsburg, making it three wins in a row for the men and back-to-back Europe Cup Victories.
On to the Next One!
Check out the Stats at FIBA Europe Cup.
Rewatch this Amazing Game on FIBA Basketball YouTube:
