School Cup Final week saw the culmination of 6 months of hard work by both the players and the coaching staff of all schools involved in the National School Cup. The venue was Edinburgh University’s Centre for Sport and Exercise. This was the second year in succession that the school finals would take place over 1 week at the same venue. The show court awaited teams from all round the country, branded with the basketballscotland logo and Saltires in the keys, it was certainly a sight never seen in the Pleasance gym before. For some it would be the first time and for others they had already been here before, but for all it would be an event to remember. The week saw 16 games played and with many National League and National Squad players there was some sensational basketball played. Congratulations to all the teams who made the finals. Thank you to all the players, coaches, to the Floor and Table Officials who helped make the 2010 School Cup Finals a success.
The Under 15 Girls Plate was the first game in a 16 game schedule, this saw a St Andrew’s Secondary side that was just a bit too strong for a young Perth Grammar side. This was the first of two wins for St Andrew’s Coach Keith Hall; his senior boy’s team would win the Open Boys Plate on Friday in the last game of the School Finals against Banchory Academy.
Perth Grammar 42 St Andrew’s Secondary 78
Top scorers: Perth Grammar: 16 – Jennifer McDougall, 10 – Lucy Christie, 9 – Katie Lewis. St Andrew’s Secondary: 29 – Geraldine O’Brien, 21 – Charmaine McGuire, 14 – Amy Spiers
Tuesday belonged to the Tayside and Fife schools with Arbroath High and Grove Academy sharing the spoils, with 2 wins a piece. Arbroath High beat the defending Under 14 Girls champions Boroughmuir High in a game which saw the lead change hands several times before Arbroath came out winners by 3 points. Assistant Coach Laura MacFarlane was delighted with the team’s performance and she is hoping the girls will commit to playing in the National League next season along, with some of the Under 14 girls that also reached the final of the Under 14 Cup.
Game of the week was in the Under 15 Boys Cup, Portobello High V Arbroath High. Portobello, Under 14 Champions from last year with a host of Scotland internationals at Under 15 and Under 16 against an Arbroath team with an outstanding young guard, Nicky Sim, and a host of talented young players. This was a game that would thrill the supporters from the start with point guards Neil Rowan and the aforementioned Sim going head to head. The lead changed hands several times over the course of the 4 quarters with the game going into overtime in the last 2 seconds.
Portobello had 4 free throws in the last minute of the game to put the game well beyond Arbroath’s reach, captain Andrew Whyte scored the first 2 from the 4 attempts, giving “Porty” a 2 point lead. Arbroath failed to score on their next possession. A drive to the basket with less than 3 seconds left on the game clock by Neil Rowan and with Arbroath on teams fouls saw Neil go to the line, needing both free throws to put the game out of reach, Neil could only make 1, “Porty” were still 3 points up and only a couple of seconds left in regulation time must have thought they had won. It would take an almighty 3 point buzzer beating attempt from Arbroath’s Nicky Sim to tie the game at 64 each. Shooting one handed and way beyond the arc the Arbroath High captain launched the shot just as the buzzer sounded the end of regulation time, the teams stood and watched as the ball hit the glass and fell through the net. Overtime started just where we finished – end to end stuff and the lead changing hands several times over the five minutes. It was Arbroath that came out the victors winning the extra period 10-6.
Portobello High 70
Arbroath High 74
Top scorers: Portobello: 30 - Andrew Whyte, 14 – Neil Rowan. Arbroath High: 36 - Nicky Sim, 24 – Jeb Spink
Two games and two wins – would Arbroath High make it 3 out of 3? In the first round league game of the S1 Girls Cup against Grove Academy there was only 4 points in it, in favour of Arbroath. Alas for Arbroath the tables turned in the final and it was Grove Academy that had the 4 point winning margin, final score 32 – 36. Grove Academy completed a double in the S1 Cup competitions with the S1 Boys winning in the last game of the day, 49 -30 against Millburn Academy from Inverness.
Wednesday saw teams from the Highlands, Borders, Tayside and Fife and Edinburgh take part in the Under 14 and S1 Plate Finals. Portobello where competing in 3 plate finals – Under 14 Boys and both the S1 finals. Earlston High, Fortrose Academy and Forfar Academy where their respective opponents. Forfar Academy and Mary Erskine School competed in the Under 14 Girls Plate with MES being far too strong for a talented but inexperienced Forfar Academy. Earlston kept the talented Portobello team to 2 points at the half but where unable to keep pace with the boys from “Porty”. This was the second year in succession that Earlston High has made the school finals. Fortrose Academy had to make a 340 mile round trip to play in the S1 Boys Plate, the resounding 42 -15 victory must have made the trip worthwhile and the young highlanders certainly played with skill and passion. It would undoubtedly be a noisy bus on the way back home to Fortrose.
The big boys and girls got a chance to show what they could do on Thursday afternoon and they definitely did not disappoint, but before the Open Cup Finals it was the Under 15 Boys Plate and the Under 14 Boys Cup which would have the supporters enthralled. Boroughmuir High where beaten by first time school basketball competitors St Aloysius’ College under the leadership of ex-St Mirren player Matt Giroux, who was anxiously hoping that his wife wouldn’t call to say the baby was on its way and he was to get back to Glasgow immediately. As luck would have it the boys won and his wife didn’t call!
The Under 14 Boys Cup was an all east affair with James Gillespies High playing North Berwick High. With North Berwick up 2 at the end of the 1st quarter and the nerves settling it was surely a case of who could keep them under control. By the end of the half the lead had changed in favour of James Gillespies who where up 4 points, the boys from Gillespies held onto the lead in the second half and won by 3, 35 – 32. Both teams had a wealth of young club and TDP talent on show, most notably Malcolm Winning and Sam Stott who both play for Boroughmuir Blaze from James Gillespies, and Gregor Gray who plays for City of Edinburgh Kings.
Top scorers: North Berwick Gregor Gray – 19 points, including 3 threes, Liam Mackle 7. James Gillespies High School – Malcolm Winning – 10, Jed Corney – 9
In the Open Girls Final St Maurice’s High played Falkirk High, with a host of internationals on show from both teams it was anyone’s guess as to who would win. Falkirk where aiming to make it 2 in a row which they did, but found it tough going from the start against a St Maurice’s team which included the talented Erin McGarrachan. One point in favour of Falkirk separated the teams in the first quarter, with McGarrachan scoring 13 of the 16 points scored by St Maurice’s. The girls from Cumbernauld went on to win the second quarter by 5, half time score 33 – 29 to St Maurice’s. In the second half Falkirk captain Kirsty Young and cousin Claire Straiton scored 23 out of the 30 points Falkirk scored between them. St Maurice’s where still ahead with McGarrachan scoring a massive 30 points in the first 3 quarters. In the last the strength of Falkirk showed and they won the last quarter by 10.
St Maurice’s High 55
Falkirk High 63
Top scorers: St Maurice’s Erin McGarrachan – 40 points. Falkirk High – Claire Straiton – 24 points, Kirsty Young -18
The Open Boys Final was Falkirk High against a young North Berwick High team. Falkirk High where competing in their 3rd final in 3 years and where yet to win. Scotland international Jonny Bunyan was as determined as any to make sure he left school with an Open Boys winner’s medal and started by scoring a 3 pointer on the first play of the game. The first quarter was tight with Falkirk only winning by it by 3.By the end of the half Falkirk High had stamped their authority on the game with Bunyan scoring 26 of the 34 points scored by his team including 4 threes. The second half was much the same as the first, with Falkirk shooting the ball from outside the key and North Berwick trying to feed the ball to their 2 big players – Mackle and Mackay. North Berwick did not give up however and battled hard until the end.
North Berwick High 42
Falkirk High 68
Top scorers: Bunyan scored a fantastic 41 points for Falkirk High including eight 3 pointers. Grant Mackay scored 21 for North Berwick.
Friday started badly with the Hillhead Girls being delayed due to an accident on the M8. Their opponents The Nicolson Institute, however didn’t have the same problem having travelled from there home on the Isle of Lewis the day before. The delay certainly affected the Hillhead girls and they got off to a shaky start, losing the first quarter 8 – 2 they pulled it back and the game was all square at the end of the half. However a disastrous third quarter for Hillhead saw Nicolson take a 9 point lead into the final quarter and with Hillhead struggling to compete against the height of the girls from Lewis, it was going to be a long last quarter. No amount of encouragement from Coach Campbell could help these girls turn the deficit into a lead and they lost the game 29 – 40. Top Scorer for Hillhead High was Ifro Thomas with 17 points. For Nicolson Institute 14 for C Smith, 12 for J MacIver and 10 points from K Offer.
And so to the penultimate game – the Under 14 Girls Cup tussle between Arbroath High and St Maurice’s High. Unfortunately for Arbroath the Cumbernauld young guns came out blazing and were 9 points up at the end of the 1st quarter. A better show in the second half from Arbroath but it was too little too late and in the 3rd quarter St Maurice’s stretched their lead to 20 points. Final score was Arbroath High 35 – St Maurice’s 58. Top Scorers for Arbroath High – 9 points each for Kate Shepherd and Gabrielle McCormick, while Taylor McKeown scored 26 and Michelle Bradley scored 15 for St Maurice’s.
The Open Boys Plate final brought the Schools Cup Finals to a close. Banchory Academy had made it to the final by beating last years beaten finalists, Leith Academy, in a close game at Perth Grammar just the week before, while St Andrew’s Secondary had to beat Open Boys newcomers St Peter the Apostle High form Clydebank. St Andrew’s took charge from the start and were 14 points up at the end of the first, a lead that they continued to build on and finished the half 50 points to 23. A strong 3rd quarter from the East End boys and the game was done and dusted. Banchory where starting to play the way they had done in the semi and won the fourth 28 -18, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Banchory Academy 62
St Andrew’s Secondary 88
Top Scorers: St Andrew’s – Ryan McGregor 20, Ryan Lynch 17, Lee Matthews 17 and for Banchory Academy 21 points for Thomas Christophersen and 16 from Matthew Halliwell.
Overall it was a fantastic week with some exceptional basketball played. Well done to all who took part and we hope to see some of you again next year.
- The basketballscotland Team
Competition Home Team Away Team Date
U15 Girls Plate Perth Grammar 42-78 St Andrew’s Secondary Mon 22/03/10
U15 Girls Cup Arbroath High 53-50 Boroughmuir High Tue 23/03/10
U15 Boys Cup Portobello High 70-74 (OT) Arbroath High Tue 23/03/10
S1 Girls Cup Arbroath High 32-36 Grove Academy Tue 23/03/10
S1 Boys Cup Millburn Academy 30-49 Grove Academy Tue 23/03/10
U14 Boys Plate Portobello High 35-23 Earlston High Wed 24/03/10
U14 Girls Plate Forfar Academy 18-72 The Mary Erskine School Wed 24/03/10
S1 Boys Plate Fortrose Academy 42-15 Portobello High Wed 24/03/10
S1 Girls Plate Portobello High 34-14 Forfar Academy Wed 24/03/10
U15 Boys Plate Boroughmuir High 34-47 St Aloysius’ College Thu 25/03/10
U14 Boys Cup North Berwick High 32-35 James Gillespies High Thu 25/03/10
Open Girls Cup St Maurice’s High 53-65 Falkirk High Thu 25/03/10
Open Boys Cup Falkirk High 68-42 North Berwick High Thu 25/03/10
Open Girls Plate Hillhead High 27-42 Nicolson Institute Fri 26/03/10
U14 Girls Cup Arbroath High 35-58 St Maurice’s High Fri 26/03/10
Open Boys Plate Banchory Academy 62-88 St Andrew’s Secondary Fri 26/03/10
