St Ninian’s High School’s basketball teams enjoyed a double success recently, lifting both the Senior and Intermediate shields.

The junior boys team also enjoyed an excellent season, underlining the strength and depth at the Douglas school.

The Senior final – for Years 11,12 and 13 - St Ninian’s faced a determined QEII side, with the Saints entering the contest unbeaten and as reigning champions.

QEII applied intense defensive pressure early on, keeping the opening exchanges tightly contested. Key scores from Brandon Bellew steadied early nerves, while Raf Turla’s relentless defence prevented QEII from gaining momentum.

Crucial three-pointers from Rowan Coulter late in the second quarter helped the Saints find their rhythm and edge ahead at half-time.

A tactical switch to zone defence after the break proved decisive, with Oliver Hamilton controlling the tempo superbly, creating turnovers and fast-break opportunities.

John Long’s shooting and Sam Williams’s dominance on the boards allowed the Saints to take full control in the final quarter, while captain Jack Wilkinson’s composed leadership ensured a calm and clinical finish.

The victory marked a fitting farewell for Year 13 trio Wilkinson, Kyle Furlong and Williams who end their school careers unbeaten in senior finals, an impressive achievement and testament to their commitment and development in basketball during their time at St Ninian’s.

Earlier in the week, the Saints produced one of the comebacks of the season in a dramatic Intermediate (Year 9 and 10) final against Castle Rushen High School.

After falling nine points behind in the opening quarter, St Ninian’s responded superbly. Fearless drives from Sam Cooke and composed finishes from Rhys Jones sparked the revival, before a devastating scoring run late in the second quarter saw the Saints surge into the lead.

Tireless rebounding from Joel Prentice and relentless full-court pressure in the third quarter extended the advantage.

Castle Rushen mounted a fierce late comeback, closing the gap to only two points in a tense final minute.

With the pressure at its peak, captain Sai Manojkumar stepped forward, calmly sinking two ice-cold free throws in the final seconds to secure a thrilling 49-45 victory and seal the shield.

Preceding this, the SNHS junior boys team had already capped off a fantastic season by reaching the final recently, after playing some outstanding basketball throughout the year.

The boys produced an excellent performance in a high-quality semi-final victory over QEII, before narrowly losing a fiercely-contested final against a strong Castle Rushen side.

Having already beaten CRHS in a close contest earlier in the season, the Saints knew they faced a tough challenge. Castle Rushen responded impressively, playing some excellent basketball and proved deserving winners.

Although the junior Saints fell just short on the day, they can all take enormous pride in their effort, progression and team spirit throughout the season.

Following their success, the senior squad were due to travel to Wales for a three-day basketball tour the weekend before last.

Unfortunately, the boats were cancelled but the trip has been rearranged for March 13 when the Saints will test themselves against top-level under-18 opposition, including an evening fixture against Holyhead LLS (Welsh finalists last season) and a high-quality five-team tournament at Bangor University featuring under-18 North Wales Academy players.

The tour promises to be a good opportunity for the group to challenge themselves, grow as a team and gain valuable experience at a higher competitive level.