By Mr Mangat, Basketball Coach

This month, our Year 10 Basketball team clinched the Borough Championship with a nail-biting 39–37 victory over second-place Gunnersbury School.

The team has trained and worked extremely hard throughout the season, which allowed them to go undefeated and secure the title in impressive fashion. The boys started their campaign with a strong 42–35 win against Heston, where Rron Kastrati grabbed 15 rebounds, playing a huge part in the victory. The second game saw a dominant 55–17 win over Cranford, with Finn Wood contributing an outstanding 15 points. The third fixture against Rivers was a much closer contest, but I&S came away with a 43–37 win. A tremendous effort from debutant Callum Cameron, along with a late surge of points from Zeeshan Memon, secured another important victory.

The final game truly lived up to the growing crowd in the sports hall. I&S took an early lead thanks to some excellent shooting from Carlos Frederick. However, every time we looked to extend their advantage, Gunnersbury fought back. Late in the second half, we found ourselves three points down as Gunnersbury launched a fast break. Jayaan Rahllen produced a huge defensive block, then raced down the other end and converted a crucial three-pointer to level the score.

With just 10 seconds remaining, Gunnersbury held a one-point lead and I&S had possession. The ball was given to Isleworth’s most consistent performer to take the final shot. Lukas Dominykas Macianskas dribbled down the court and executed a perfect crossover to beat the first defender, who fell to the floor. With five seconds left, he launched a three-pointer from just beyond mid-court. The entire sports hall fell silent as the ball travelled through the air. As it swished through the net, the hall erupted in celebration.

It has been a terrific season built on hard work, resilience and commitment. Well done to our Borough Champions – Callum Cameron, Carlos Frederick, Rronn Kastrati, Lukas Dominykas Macianskas, Jonas Pardo Buikus, Jayan Rahllen and Fin Wood.