The Caledonia Gladiators will look to stretch their three-game winning streak on Sunday, as they host a Manchester Giants team aiming to capitalise on a thrilling victory earlier this week.
The Giants will travel to the Playsport Arena with some momentum in their luggage, after earning a two point win over the Surrey Scorchers on Thursday night. A win over the Gladiators would not only reignite their sense of optimism, but also put them level with Surrey in 8th position.
Caledonia, on the other hand, are contending at the opposite end of the table. Gareth Murray’s side are jostling with the Cheshire Phoenix for second position and know that defeating the Giants will push their record to 11-5 for the season.
Board Games
The Gladiators will enter this game as clear favourites and for good reason. One aspect of their game that gives them the edge on paper is rebounding.
The Scottish outfit are second in the league in boards with an average of 37.7 per game. Frontcourt duo Trent Buttrick and Fahro Alihodzic have done a great job so far this season, with 6.9 and 6.4 boards averages respectively..
Meanwhile, the Giants are second from bottom in that
category. In order to compete, Manchester will need show a clear improvement on
the glass from their 33.2 rebounds per contest.
Caledonia also offer superior rim protection inside, leading the way in blocks per game with 4.2, totalling at 63 rejections for the campaign.
Key Scorers
You’d be forgiven for expecting a low scoring affair, as neither
team scores at an overwhelming volume. The Gladiators average 84.1 points per
game, while the Giants aren’t far behind with 81.4.
Despite their team’s approach, impressive individual scoring
displays can’t be ruled out. Manchester’s Nicholas Lewis and Jamell Anderson both
sit within the league’s scoring top ten, with 14.9 and 15.3 respectively. Caledonia’s
Patrick Whelan enters the game with average of 15 points per game so far.
The last time these teams played was on opening week, back on the 17th of September, when the Gladiators took home the 97-79 W. Anderson scored 17 points that night, but his former teammate Whelan bettered him to the tune of 23.
Bench points were an enormous game changer back then, with the Gladiators bench out-scoring Manchester’s by a whopping 29 points. For a different result this time around, the Giants will need much more from their second unit.
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