LEADONITES under 18s lost a friendly 81-37 at Gloucester Saxons in their first match.

They became the fifth different age group to represent the Ledbury basketball club this season.

But several key absentees meant a heavy reliance on the under 16s squad to make up numbers against older, bigger opposition.

The age gap was felt most in the first quarter when Saxons bullied their way to a 27-6 lead.

Taliesin Chalkley scored a put-back early on for Leadonites but their next scores did not come until late in the quarter with two baskets in succession from Kaisan Tulloch.

The second quarter was better but still the deficit grew by five points with nine free throws missed being decisive.

Scores from Tulloch, Daniel Falicki, Chalkley and Harry Orrett led to a half-time score of 43-17 with the match all but lost.

The third quarter was marginally better with Tulloch and Moises Baltazar scoring three-pointers before Falicki muscled his way in for two late-quarter baskets to make it 57-27.

Leadonites simply ran out of puff in the last quarter and with it defensive discipline as time and again the Saxons pass-and-cut play outmanoeuvred them for simple scores.

Tulloch scored another eight points on his way to a game-high 21 and Chalkley sank two late free throws.

Leadonites will play Saxons again in April and then have matches against Hereford Hornets and Malvern Hills Buzzards men to look forward to.