The last time the Caledonia Gladiators and Cheshire Phoenix met in the Trophy competition was of course that epic final back in March 2023, in what turned out to be an instant classic.
The Gladiators-Phoenix rivalry, although pre-dating last seasonβs Trophy final, certainly seemed to reach fever pitch with that final David Sloan buzzer beater and the Phoenix would be looking to exact some form of revenge in tonightβs matchup.
Starting Fives:
Caledonia Gladiators: Ian Dubose, Princeton Onwas, Patrick Whelan, Clifton Moore Jr., LukΓ‘Ε‘ Palyza.
Cheshire Phoenix: LaQuincy Rideau, Maceo Jack, Aaryn Rai, Ethan Chargois, Skyler White.
First Half
After a very competitive start to the fixture, it was the Cheshire Phoenix that seemed to take a slight control, hitting the Gladiators with their trademark speed and quickness.
Gladiators Head Coach Gareth Murray was forced to take an early time out, trailing by 5 and after some adjustments, the home side managed to tie things up, thanks to impressive plays from Patrick Whelan and Clifton Moore.
The Phoenix had an answer for every Gladiator basket, however, and shared the ball effectively, with Maceo Jack, Ethan Chargois and Cam Holden all contributing to the score.
The Phoenix also grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the opening quarter and took a slender 2-point lead into the second quarter.
β Clifton Moore Jr. starts the game.
β Clifton Moore Jr. dunks to his first points of the game.π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ Itβs a familiar recipe for @Cal_Gladiators! Catch them taking on @CheshireNix NOW on YouTube.
πΊ WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/b7AaSnURVR#UNBEATABLE pic.twitter.com/V78zC1GJaq
β British Basketball League (@britishbasketm) January 5, 2024
The second quarter was also a tight affair, with neither team able to wrestle control from the other. The quarter ebbed and flowed as another classic performance from the two rival sides unfolded, with 4 points being the largest margin between the teams.
Clifton Moore led all scorers at this point with 12, but he would be the only player in double figures, as both teams played excellent team basketball.
Caledonia looked as though they might take a 5-point lead into the second half after an and one play from Princeton Onwas, only for Skyler White to hit one of his trademark three-pointers, making the score 45-43 to the home team.S
Second Half
The tempo and competitive drive between these two teams did not alter…
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