St Ninian’s senior basketball squad travelled to Anglesey from 13–15 March for a weekend of high-level competition and a memorable tour for the team.
With a squad of 14 players and ten hours of travel on Friday, the Saints faced an LLS basketball team led by international coach Sion Parry on their first evening in Anglesey.
The Saints started strongly, showcasing excellent ball movement from O Hamilton, J Wilkinson, R Turla, B Bellew and R Coulter. They quickly built a 19–8 lead, forcing an early timeout from the opposition as the hosts regrouped and tightened their defence.
Despite the increased pressure, the Saints continued to play with confidence. Strong attacking drives from G Thatcher and E O’Dea kept the scoreboard moving and the game remained close heading into the second half. However, the long day of travel began to show as shots struggled to fall and transitions between offence and defence slowed. The opposition capitalised with excellent outside shooting, making the second half an uphill challenge for the visitors.
S Shimmin kept the Saints within touching distance with two well-taken three-pointers heading into the final quarter, but the LLS side’s cohesion ultimately proved decisive as they secured the win. Despite the result, the game provided a valuable learning experience for the Saints, who were determined to respond the following day.
Saturday morning saw the team compete in a four-team tournament featuring some of North Wales’ strongest under-18 talent. After a good night’s rest, the Saints returned to the court ready to make their mark.
The Saints started the tournament strongly, with G Thatcher and D Gilmore helping the team build an early lead in the opening match. Two Year 10 players, P Hrydithya and I Hicklin, made impressive senior debuts, bringing energy and defensive intensity as the Saints secured their first win.
They carried this momentum into the second game, where strong attacking play from J Long, K Furlong and D Evans helped St Ninian’s secure another victory to move to 2–0.
Their final opponents had won all of their previous games, but by this stage the Saints had found their rhythm. Three-point shooting from R Coulter, O Hamilton and J Wilkinson helped build a commanding lead, while standout performer G Thatcher, supported by Hrydithya and Hicklin, steadied the team when pressure increased.
Strong defence from Turla created fast-break opportunities for Hamilton and Bellew, while Coulter continued his excellent shooting as the Saints sealed an impressive third win to finish the tournament with a perfect 3–0 record.
Following a successful morning of basketball, the team spent the afternoon exploring Anglesey with Sion Parry, a professional basketball coach who lives in the area and who organised both the opening fixture and the tournament. Parry, who runs the Swish Basketball programme (@swish_basketball_by_sion_parry), guided the group around some of the local highlights, including the dramatic South Stack Lighthouse where the players tackled the famous 400 steps, before continuing on to Trearddur Bay to enjoy the scenery and some well-earned ice cream.
The squad would like to thank Sion Parry for organising both the opening fixture and the tournament, as well as referee and second-in-charge Omo for his valuable contribution to the weekend and his connection with St Ninian’s, having previously been a student at the school in 2004. Thanks also go to Mr Winrow for his long hours behind the wheel driving the team from Heysham to Anglesey, Miss Murphy for her coaching throughout the weekend, and Mr Boussougou for his assistance in organising the trip.
The success of the weekend has laid the foundations for what the school hopes will become an annual North Wales tour for its senior basketball players, giving younger Saints something to aspire to as they progress through the school.
St Ninian’s basketball squad enjoys successful North Wales tour
