Basketball - Inverness Lions celebrate becoming Scottish Division One champions
Dornoch Academy pupils Darcey Levens and Maisie Levens were part of the Inverness Lions squad which roared their way to success as their under-14 girls team claimed the Scottish Basketball Championship Division One title.
The team finished top of the division after a dominant campaign where they won 13 of their 14 matches to take the national crown.
They also scored an average of 77 points compared to conceding only 34 points per game in what has been an impressive campaign.
The girls are now preparing to face Falkirk Fury, who finished in second place, in the play-off final at the Caledonia Gladiators Arena in Glasgow on Sunday for the right to become Scottish champions.
Inverness Lions head coach and club chairman John Kerray says it has been a tremendous season for the girls who have established themselves as the top team in the age group in the country.
He said: “The girls have finished in first place in the top division in Scotland.
“It is a big achievement for a team from the north to be competing against teams from the central belt and winning at that level.
“The biggest thing is it is a testament to the hard work the team have put in. They are training three times a week, plus they are going to the gym twice a week.
“It creates a great environment for the girls and within the club.”
The girls have put in the distance to become Scottish champions as they travel across the country throughout the season as they compete against clubs based in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow and Paisley.
The league winning team is also representative of basketball talent based from across the Highlands.
As well as pupils from Dornoch Academy and Inverness secondary schools such as Charleston Academy and Millburn Academy, players also attend Nairn Academy as well as Inverness primary schools Crown Primary School and Milton of Leys.
Kerray said the amount of miles the girls have put in to achieve their success this season should not be underestimated.
He said: “The girls have put in a big commitment to travelling across the country this season.
“Not only to play other teams, but to play for the club, with some of the girls coming from as far as Dornoch.
“The time commitment is huge if you want to perform at this level, but you have to put that in for success if you want to play at this level.
“I find it interesting our players come from so many different schools and they take time to get to know each other off the court as well as on the court.”
Basketball in Inverness is on a high with the success of teams in the city this season.
Several players from Inverness have been called up to Scotland squad at international level.
With Inverness Lions also celebrating success at national level, Kerray says it shows the excellent work that is being done at youth level to get more players into the sport.
“Inverness Lions run age groups from under-eight to under-18 level for both boys and girls, with around 160 players altogether.
“We have four teams that play within the national leagues.
“We also have a wheelchair division at the club with a junior team and senior team.
“We have regular enquiries about players coming to join the club and people don’t realise how big basketball is in Inverness.”
The club are also preparing to take part in a basketball in Valencia during Easter.
Inverness Lions league winning squad
Charlotte Maclean, Nairn Academy
Darcey Levens, Dornoch Academy
Halle Cran, Culloden Academy
India Hanton, Millburn Academy
Jessica Gibson, Culloden Academy
Katie Beaton, Millburn Academy
Maisie Levens, Dornoch Academy
Millie Grant. Millburn Academy
Annabelle Gorton, Charleston Acdemy
Emmie Platt, Charleston Academy
Holly Seago, Milton of Leys Primary
Lucy Antliff, Crown Primary
