140
THE ALLEYNIAN 710
BASKETBALL
JAMES FAIERS
After a year and a half with no competitive basketball matches, the Dulwich College basketball teams were itching to get back on court to compete in the LISBA (London Independent Schools Basketball Association) league and cup, as well as in friendlies against local Southwark schools. The popularity of the sport continues to grow, with good numbers of students attending the training sessions throughout the week. For many students, the basketball court is the perfect place to enjoy themselves whilst playing a competitive, high tempo, team sport. Though some year groups did not get all the results they were looking for, there were some fantastic performances of which the players can be very proud, and all players have improved their skills, as well as gaining vital match experience which will stand them in good stead for the years to come.
Year 9 basketball began with the House competition, where it became clear that there was a group of talented and keen individual players ready to embark on their Dulwich College basketball careers. The LISBA league begins at U14 level, so for many students this was their first taste of competitive basketball. Their talent showed through in all the league fixtures, but unfortunately the team lacked a little match-play experience and lost a few games by the smallest of margins. The team finished one place outside of the playoff spots and to add to the frustration, in the matches against the three teams immediately above Dulwich, the scores were only separated by a single basket. The disappointment of not making the playoffs this year is sure to spur the team on next season. It is a team full of great potential, with players who really do have a bright future ahead of them. I am excited to see what they can achieve next year. U14
U15
This year was the first time the U15 team, like the U14s, had been involved in a competitive league, thanks to the cancellation of LISBA competitions last year because of the pandemic. There is an abundance of talented basketball players with high basketball IQ in this age group, as in the U14s, and they were desperate to show their ability on court. The difficulties for this group of players came through injuries: key players were unable to play in the important matches of the season, so the playoffs looked unlikely. Fortunately, the team sneaked into the playoffs as the fourth and last seed. As the playoffs started, the team were almost back to full strength but still the underdogs. Nevertheless, they put in an amazing performance in the semi-finals against Whitgift, to whom they had lost by over 50 points earlier in the season, and kept the match very close; Whitgift eventually took control in the fourth quarter and won by 10 points. Not disheartened by this loss, the Dulwich team went on to win the third-place playoff, improving on the fourth place in the league. The gritty playoff performances with impressive team displays left the students thinking what could have been if they had enjoyed a full-strength team throughout the year. It has left them full of confidence for their U16 campaign next season.
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