St. Ninians faced a strong Castle Rushen side in the IOMSSA Intermediates Basketball Final. With an unchanged squad from the semi-final, the Saints were hoping to replicate the high-intensity performance that had seen them overcome King William’s College.
In the opening quarter, however, the Saints struggled to make full use of their possession in and around the key and were often second to the ball when contesting rebounds. Castle Rushen capitalised on this and took a deserved nine-point lead by the end of the first quarter.
Sam Cooke began to take the game to Castle Rushen with a series of brave, direct drives towards the basket, while Rhys Jones once again showed his class with two excellent finishes from close range. Despite this, Castle Rushen were able to extend their nine-point advantage by a few more points.
The Saints, however, responded superbly, showing real belief and composure to wrestle back momentum. What followed could only be described as a hot streak, with almost every attacking possession resulting in basket after basket. The points quickly began to accumulate, and by the end of the second quarter the boys had not only erased the deficit but taken the lead for the first time in the game. Joel Prentice stood out for his efforts in winning rebounds to regain possession and facilitate the flow of baskets.
In the third quarter, the full-court press, combined with much-improved decision-making on the ball, allowed the Saints to extend their lead to ten points going into the final period. Eli Birchenough, after making an excellent basket, unfortunately fouled out and could take no further part in proceedings. A superb fast break saw Ade feed Illiam, who cleverly tipped the ball on to Charley Bevan for a well-timed basket just before the buzzer, further strengthening the Saints’ advantage.
The final quarter did not disappoint, delivering plenty of late drama. The Saints quickly accumulated five team fouls, allowing Castle Rushen multiple trips to the free-throw line with momentum shifting once more. A ten-point lead soon became eight, then six, and before long Castle Rushen had closed the gap to just two points. Tension filled the Roundhouse Sports Hall—but one player remained composed. Captain Sai took control at a crucial moment, carrying the ball confidently up the court before driving hard towards the basket and drawing a vital foul. With just ten seconds left on the clock and the score at 47–45 to the Saints, the pressure was immense. Sai, however, kept his nerve and calmly swished both free throws to seal the Shield.
Final score: Castle Rushen 45 – St. Ninian's 49.
We are incredibly proud of all students involved for their temperament, commitment, and teamwork throughout the season. Well done, boys!
A huge thank you to Miss Murphy and Miss Dunne for organising the competition, as well as to the referees for giving up their time and expertise. Congratulations also to Castle Rushen, who played their part in what was an outstanding and fiercely contested final.