Huge clash with the Gladiators this Thursday night

British Basketball League Trophy

Thursday night hoops don’t come much bigger than this! The January British Basketball League Trophy group stage continues with the B. Braun Sheffield Sharks and the Caledonia Gladiators both needing to get off the mark in the win column. The Sharks will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s opening defeat down in Surrey and the Gladiators urgently need a win after going 0-2 with a loss at Plymouth. There is so little margin for error and that means this is going to be an intense match-up – not to be missed!

Thursday – Sharks v Gladiators – Canon Medical Arena – 7.45pm

Tickets – Fanbase | Schedule (fanbaseclub.com)

Ones To Watch

Patrick Whelan – Caledonia were a little short-handed down in Plymouth but GB guard Whelan did his best to make up for it. He found his greatest successes from the line where he went 9 of 9 to end with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, albeit in vain as the Glads took a 7 point loss.

Mike Bothwell – New signing Bothwell’s presence was definitely required in the absence of Caledonia talisman Ian DuBose. The guard shot 60% from the field in a big all-round game where he ended with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. He couldn’t prevent the 88-81 road loss however.

Lukas Palyza – Has been a solid acquisition for the Scots as his 12.3 point, 3.3 rebound, 1.6 assist season averages imply, shooting the three at 43.1%. Hit three triples on his way to 13 points against Plymouth and has already proved to be a thorn in the Sharks’ side this season.

Fahro Alihodzic – The Caledonia skipper led from the front against the Patriots with an 11 point, 11 rebound double-double but couldn’t prevent them from falling to 0-2 in the Trophy so far this season. A 57% shooter inside the arc.

Last Meeting

November 11th 2023 – Caledonia Gladiators (Moore Jr 17 Palyza 14 Alihodzic 14) 73 B. Braun Sheffield Sharks (Nichols 13 Pipkins 12 Ramsey 11) 64

Shark Bites

The last time the Sharks played the Caledonia Gladiators franchise in the British Basketball League Trophy was on 25th January 2013 at the quarter final stage. The Sharks won 84-81 after overtime, going on to defeat Leicester Riders in the final in Glasgow.

Eight previous meetings between the Sharks and the Scottish franchise in the British Basketball League Trophy have resulted in 4 wins apiece with the Sharks winning all 3 matches that took place on their home court.

The Sharks overall record in home games in the Trophy is 39 wins, 15 losses. In away games it is 40 wins, 26 defeats and 2 draws.

Playing a British Basketball League Trophy game on a Thursday seems unusual. However, the Sharks have played 8 games previously in club history, although only one of them is within the last 20 years.

SharkNation

We all like a January sale, right? Well if you head to the ticket link at the top of the page and enter the code ‘TROPHY’, admission to Thursday’s huge game against Caledonia will be 50% cheaper than normal! And games do not come more important than this one. With the Sharks at 0-1 and the Gladiators at 0-2 in this British Basketball League Trophy group stage, a win would be everything. We’d love to take our SharkNation to Birmingham at the end of the month so get behind the guys and let’s protect our fortress. The Sharks and the SharkNation – together we are UNBEATABLE! #FearTheFin

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Adam Bates