Caledonia Gladiators beat Sheffield Sharks 87–79 at Playsport Arena on Friday night, with new signing Isiah Small producing 15 points and 17 rebounds on his debut.[1]
The forward was named game MVP after helping Caledonia withstand Sheffield’s late response and secure another Super League Basketball Championship victory.[1] His work on the glass was the clearest immediate sign of what he can add to the Gladiators’ frontcourt.
Caledonia build a 26-point half-time lead
The game began slowly, with the teams tied at two points apiece after five minutes. Caledonia then took control, closing the opening quarter 18–4 ahead before extending the advantage to 50–24 by half-time.[1]
The lead reached 33 points as the hosts found opportunities in transition. Sheffield improved after the interval and used Caledonia turnovers to reduce the deficit in the fourth quarter, but the home side managed the closing stages in front of a reported crowd of 1,100.[1]
Terry Roberts led the Gladiators with 17 points, Al-Amir Dawes added 16 from the bench, and Braxton Williams and Christian Keeling scored 13 each. Small’s 17 rebounds stood out alongside the balanced scoring.[1]
Small makes an immediate impact
Caledonia announced the 6ft 8in American forward shortly before the game. Small had spent recent weeks training with the team after playing for Surrey 89ers and Manawatu Jets last season.[2]
He averaged 14.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists for Surrey, then 16.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in New Zealand. His wider professional career has included spells in Germany, Georgia, Denmark and Israel.[2]
One performance does not settle how the new line-up will develop, but a 15-point, 17-rebound debut gives Caledonia an encouraging starting point.[1] It also showed how Small can provide interior presence while Roberts, Dawes, Williams and Keeling share the scoring load.[1]
The 87–79 result was recorded by Caledonia as their second win of the 2026–27 SLB Championship season.[1]