Gladiators, Rebels chalk up victories; Wildcats shock Riders

The Super League Basketball championship split an exciting four-game slate over two days as teams continued their push for a postseason place.

Both the Caledonia Gladiators and Essex Rebels continued their fine form in the regular-season, while the Nottingham Wildcats chalked up their second win of the Super League Basketball championship.

Oaklands Wolves 80-92 Caledonia Gladiators

Both franchises headed into this matchup in a rich vein of form. Yet, it would be the Caledonia Gladiators who would claim the spoils of this difficult encounter, inspired by a 27-point performance from the inevitable Tierra Hodges.

Caledonia and the Oaklands Wolves started the game exchanging blows, with neither team gaining an edge in the opening five minutes of the game. However, six quick points from Mathilde Domenger, supplemented by impressive defensive fortitude from Tess Amundsen, allowed the away team to take a six-point lead into the first break of the afternoon.

The Gladiators’ momentum continued into the second quarter as their offensive gameplay became more fluid. Caledonia recorded 28 points in the quarter to extend its advantage to 15 points at the halftime buzzer.

Seven third-quarter points from Oaklands’ Teresa Da Silva ensured that the home team still could dream of a late comeback to chalk up their third win in four games.

Nevertheless, Caledonia’s Tierra Hodges and Maura Fitzpatrick combined for 12 points in the final period of play to cement the Gladiators’ eighth win of the 2025-26 campaign.

Player of the Game: Tierra Hodges (Caledonia Gladiators)

London Lions 80-95 Essex Rebels

The Essex Rebels walked away from the New City College Hackney with an important victory over the London Lions on Saturday afternoon.

After Essex stormed to an early 5-0 lead over the Lions, London’s leading scorer, Annika Shah, chalked up seven points to keep her team within three points of their opponents during the opening quarter.

The optics did not change in this fiercely contested fixture as each team continued to trade blows, and neither could gain any meaningful leverage before the players headed into the half-time break. Essex narrowly maintained a two-point lead.

However, this all changed in the third-quarter as the Rebels outscored London by six points, as Natalie Chou exploded into life with 11 vital points.

Seven points in the final period from Quinesha Lockett dampened London’s hopes of causing an upset against the Rebels.

Player of the Game: Paige Meyer (Essex Rebels)

Cardiff Met Archers 53-100 B. Braun Sheffield Hatters

Jessica Eadsforth-Yates displayed a two-way masterclass by dropping 17 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists as the versatile guard led the Sheffield Hatters to a blowout victory over the Cardiff Met Archers.

Sheffield flew out of the traps from the opening tip as they raced to a 15-30 first-quarter lead. Eadsforth-Yates emphatically made her impact felt with nine points, three rebounds, and three assists to start the game.

Nina Krisper began to heat up after returning to the floor, scoring 11 of her 23 total points. Eadsforth-Yates added another five points to her tally, which contributed to Cardiff’s 28-point half-time deficit.

Despite being a tighter-contested quarter, the Archers could not formulate an effective solution to Sheffield’s relentless offence. Amelia Schrapf and Anita Kadiri combined for 10 points as Cardiff refused to throw in the towel.

The Hatters smothered Cardiff on the defensive end, stealing the ball on four occasions during the final period and hitting the home team with a devastating transition attack to end the game in style.

Player of the Game: Jessica Eadsforth-Yates

Nottingham Wildcats 85-68 Leicester Riders

Both the Nottingham Wildcats and the Leicester Riders could not be separated during the opening exchanges of this championship matchup, with the away team edging proceedings by just two points as the first quarter came to a close.

Despite having just one win on the season, confidence is not an issue with the Wildcats, who dominated the second quarter of play. Nottingham’s Emma Nolan scored 11 points, draining four of her five field-goal attempts.

Leicester’s Brooke Bigott recorded six points, two rebounds, and three assists in an attempt to inspire one of the comebacks of the season. Nottingham’s determination allowed the team to maintain an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter.

With everything still to play for, both teams continued to go back-and-forth, trading important buckets. However, six points from Kayala Buggs propelled the Wildcats to a second consecutive victory.

Player of the Game: Emma Nolan (Nottingham Wildcats)

Keep up to date with all the latest Super League Basketball news and action by following our social media channels, just click here.