In a meeting between teams on different ends of the British Basketball League table, Surrey Scorchers will welcome the Caledonia Gladiators to the Surrey Sports Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Scorchers are on the search for consistency, after
recently suffering defeat at the hands of the Manchester Giants, who they share
a 6-12 record with, heading into Sunday’s action. The tough loss came after two
consecutive wins prior, which inspired hopes of climbing into a Playoff spot
and a win over Caledonia would be significant, as they jostle for position.
The Gladiators remain third in the standings, with an 11-6
record, fresh off Friday night’s 6-point loss to the Leicester Riders. The surprise
loss came after a four-game winning streak and left them a game behind the 2nd
placed Cheshire Phoenix. They will travel to Surrey in the hope of recovering
from their trip to Leicester.
Battle on the glass
This game could be won on the boards. As a team, the
Gladiators are far superior in the rebounding category, having pulled down 37.2
per game so far this season, to Surrey’s 34.7. Saiquan Jamison sits second in boards
per game at 9, so will his presence under the basket could be key to the Scorchers
chances. However, he will have to battle with the likes of Trent Buttrick and
Fahro Alihodzic, who also sit in the top ten in that column.
The teams are close in scoring; Caledonia have scored 84.5
points per game, while Surrey are two places below with 81.6. The Gladiators do
business with greater efficiency, shooting at a rate of 44.8% thus far, while Surrey
struggle at 41.9%. It’s a similar story from beyond the arc, with Caledonia at
37.7% and their hosts at 35.7% from deep.
When these teams last clashed back in October, the Gladiators protected home court with a 7-point win. In that contest, Caledonia were highly active in transition, outscoring Surrey 15-8 in fast break points. They also made their way to the line regularly, with eight more shots at the stripe than Surrey, finishing at a clip of 85.7%. The game ended 86-79, in a highly contested Gladiators win, which Surrey will aim to avenge this weekend.
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