Manx Ladies Strike Gold!
The Manx were on the march at the Swish Basketball Inter-Island Games on Ynys Mon this week, with the Island’s Men’s and Ladies Basketball Teams facing off against competition from Jersey, Guernsey, Falkland, Faroe, and Ynys Mon. The 5-day tournament was organised by Sion Parry, founder of Swish Basketball, alongside the Ynys Mon Celts and Basketball Wales to complement the Orkney Island Games where basketball was not on the roster. The Ladies team gave a standout performance, securing Gold and maintaining perfect record, as well as picking up multiple MVP awards with key players Gemma Kirkham, Zoe Kirkham and Becky Dunne each gaining the highlight.
The toughest game of the tournament came against hosts Ynys Mon who had been working all out in preparation for the games and had home court advantage from a vocal crowd of supporters. The spirt of the friendly games held out though as Faroe, who the Ladies had met on the opening ceremony, joined the Island Men’s team on the baseline to lend their support with deafening rounds of “The Laxey Wheel Keeps Turning” and “When the Manx Come Marching In”. Starters Danielle Murphy, Rhi Evans, Becky Dunne, Zoe Kirkham and Gemma Kirkham were quick to take the lead with a series of solid drive and dish moves that drew plenty of fouls Mon defence and saw Gemma Kirkham shoot 80% from the free throw line. The lead extended slowly throughout the first, aided by strong blocks and defensive boards from Oksana Fedorovych, until a series of breaks from Sara Jorgensen and an outside shot by Joanna Thomas brought the home side within 3-points, Isle of Man leading 18-15 at the end of the first.
The second quarter was a balanced affair as Ynys Mon tightened up their defence to contain the Manx drive while the island’s Ladies pressured the basketball to slow and disrupt the Mon offence. The local Welsh fans were buoyed as Chantal Sala hit a quartet of free throws that were followed by a swish 3 late in the quarter. Not to be outdone, Island Team Rookie Mairi Harrison responded with a solid 3-pointer and games veteran Danielle Murphy dominated the mid-range while Daniela Kravela continued to frustrate Mon’s offence. The quarter was balanced at halftime, 14 a-piece, but the Manx still held a slender lead, 32-29 going into the second half.
The third and fourth quarters were saw the Manx side rely on the tired and tested formula of solid drives and cuts, hitting everything from inside the key in a combination of lay-ups and put backs. Ynys Mon struggled inside the key during the third quarter and were forced to switch tactics to outside shooting and mid-range pull ups during the fourth. The change proved successful, extending the Isle of Man’s defence to shut down Beth Jones’ shooting, which opened opportunities for Maria Domagala and Jorgensen to pick up points inside. The hosts were slowing gaining on the Manx Team until they found a new defensive intensity with Dunne, Murphy and Evans all picking off Ynys Mon passes for quick breaks down the court. Both teams played hard to the end but with time running short there was nothing Ynys Mon could do to stop the march of the Manx, the Isle of Man Ladies finishing a 55-47 ahead. The victory set the Ladies on course for Gold, and a solid victory the following day against Faroe (71-19) secured them the title with unbeaten record.
The impressive victory also marks the pinnacle of a 16-year project under Head Coach Peter Dunne, who brought a significant number of young rookies to the 2009 Aland Games, training them into the solid veterans who have gone undefeated this year. The Island Ladies now take a month rest break before work begins towards the defence of their title at the Faroe 2027 Island Games.
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The Island Ladies Team would like to extend their thanks to the Steam Packet Company whose Manx Community Assistance Fund was vital in supporting the travel of the team. The fund has been a key part in helping the local basketball community to compete off island, honing skills and testing tactics against teams across the UK. The Basketball Association looks forward to continuing to work with the Steam Packet as the Island team’s build towards Faroe 2027.
