Manchester Basketball fell 68-58 to the Caledonia Gladiators in the Super League Basketball Women’s Championship.

Tiarra East led Manchester with 15 points and 4 rebounds, backed by Maaja Bratka and Frannie Hottinger, who both had 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Manchester were in the game late, pulling to within a single score with three and a half minutes remaining, thanks to a bucket from East. They were in contention for the win throughout the final quarter but couldn’t find the scores to get the game over the line.

But it was a gritty performance from the team, who battled back from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter to make it a game. They entered the second half down 10, but rallied in the third quarter to make it a five-point difference entering the final stanza.

A 13-2 Manchester run in the third quarter brought them from down 15 points to down just four, but the Gladiators did just enough to cling to their lead.

Five straight points from East in the fourth kept Manchester in it, but in the closing minutes, it was Caledonia that made the plays to seal the win.

This was Manchester’s penultimate game of the SLBW regular season, and their record is now 7-10. They play the Essex Rebels in their final game before the postseason on Saturday, April 25, at 4pm.

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