The University of Stirling’s men’s basketball team have been crowned the top student team in Scotland.
The 14-man squad were named national champions after lifting the Scottish Students Sport (SSS) National Trophy following a triumphant victory over the University of Edinburgh.
It follows an impressive run, which saw Stirling taking down a number of tier one sides, ending in a 65-86 win for Stirling in what was their biggest game of the year.
Photos courtesy of Donald Stewart. See more shots from the day on the Scottish Student Sport Facebook page.
The match was played at the 1,800-seat Playsport Arena in East Kilbride - the home of Caledonia Gladiators, Scotland’s only professional basketball club.
Player/Coach
Our performance has shown we can compete at the highest level and beat the best teams in the country. This is a special victory and one that the team will share forever as a highlight of our university experience.
Player/Coach Cameron Stewart, who led the team to victory, said the success is down to the hard work and determination of the players: “We are so excited – it’s something we were really hoping for and we’re grateful to get the win.
“It’s all down to the guys – we have a really great team, great quality players. What makes me happy is that all 14 players contributed in the run – everyone in the club played their part on the court and we showed just how strong a team we are.
“Our performance has shown we can compete at the highest level and beat the best teams in the country. This is a special victory and one that the team will share forever as a highlight of our university experience.”
Cameron, who is in his third year studying Law at the University and also coaches with Falkirk Fury, is now looking forward to some downtime.
“We are taking a well-deserved break over the next month or so,” he said. “It’s been pretty intense with lots of extra training sessions and balancing lots of different tournaments at once, so we’re just taking the pressure off and getting everyone back to just enjoying the game, enjoying their basketball again without any looming competitions.”
Murray Bushell, Sports President at the University of Stirling Students’ Union, said: “Congratulations to our Men's Basketball 1st team on their magnificent achievement of securing the SSS trophy and earning the title of national champions.
“Their journey to triumph included impressive victories over four tier one teams, showcasing the team's exceptional skill and determination. This success reflects the continuous growth and strength of our Basketball club and as one of our tier two clubs, it is great to see such success emanate from the programme.”
University of Stirling Roster
Head Coach, Cameron Stewart
Max Fleet, Stirling Knights – Scotland
Evan Doherty, Stirling Knights – Scotland
Mohammed Ammar Ilyas – Falkirk Fury – Hong Kong
Blair Mackenzie Perth Pheonix – Scotland
Jack Hencher – Stirling Knights – Scotland
William Kemp – Stirling Knights – Scotland
Rodrigo Garcia – Spain
James Kerr – Falkirk Fury – Scotland
Ryan McLean – West Lothian Wolves – Scotland
Gal Mladenovic – Stirling Knights – Slovenia
Jack Hamilton – Glasgow Rocks Academy – Scotland
Andrew Baker – Inverness Lions – Scotland
Matt Naylor – Stirling Knights – England
Joshua Sharp – Renfrew Rocks – Scotland
Jude Sondh – Glasgow Rocks Academy - Scotland