The date and opponents were set for Thursday, March 13th, 2024, marking Finals Day in the Oblates Hall, Inchicore. For the first time, we had two teams participating in the finals: the first-year boys and the second-year boys. Hopes were high, and with an enthusiastic group of over 100 supporters behind us, all the boys felt confident and ready to take to the court.
Our 1st-year boys were the first to play, facing Harold’s Cross Educate Together. The tip-off was at 12:30, and we were up and running. The team settled into the game well, with impressive baskets from Bastian van Jaarsveld and solid rebounds under the boards by Matthew Nolan. While the opposition had a slight edge, it was shaping up to be a close encounter.
In the second quarter, five new players had the opportunity to make their mark. The boys continued to work hard on defense, but Harold’s Cross gained some momentum and finished the quarter strongly. The game was still wide open as we headed into the second half.
William and Bastian Van Jaarsveld maintained their strong performance with great scoring, supported by excellent defensive play from the entire team. Jack Wood was everywhere, running both ends of the floor, making key steals and passes, and scoring a lovely basket on a baseline drive. Rigo Wang, who came off the bench, scored just in time, narrowing the gap to 5 points.
As we entered the final quarter, the game could have gone either way. Again, William and Bastian worked together effectively, creating great opportunities. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we fell just short, and Harold’s Cross edged us out for the win.
Although it wasn’t our day, we are immensely proud of all the boys and the hard work they put in over the past three months. Well done to the entire team.
Team for all the games:
William Van Jaarsveld, Bastian Van Jaarsveld, Eoin Cuddihy, Georgie Scott, Jack Wood, Matthew Nolan, Rigo Wang, Ryan Zhou, Thomas Crowley, William Clucas, William Hance, and JJ McConnell.
Next up were our second-year boys, who only recently came together as a team and maybe surprised even themselves by making it to the finals despite not having much basketball experience. The lads were extremely excited about the game and couldn’t wait to put their best foot forward.
The JSS boys didn’t get off to the best start and were rattled by a quick opening from their opponents. However, as the game progressed, we managed to settle down, with one of our most experienced players, Jaithra Dhamiha, making some impressive individual scores. Lucas Tyner, Milo Beckett, and Will Gelvin all worked hard and created several great chances, but unfortunately, not all opportunities were converted.
Rathdown proved formidable opponents, with two very strong club players, and they emerged as winners in the end. The team can hold their heads high and be proud of how far they’ve come. With more practice and additional games, they will be ready to take on more teams in next year’s league.
Team for all the games:
Dara Williams, Gagan Harsha, Ismael Kirmi, Jaithra Dhamiha, Ruben Swan, Selim Shahin, Ryan O’Reilly, Kai Lawless Clarke, William Gelvin, Milo Beckett, Lucas Tyner and Oscar Lenehan.
