JERSEY Men’s Basketball team brought home a medal of their own at the Ynys Mon 2025 Inter-Island Games Basketball competition held last week.
Despite the Orkney Island Games not including basketball due to a lack of facilities, Ynys Mon stepped up to host a fantastic week of hooping action which saw the Jersey men’s side clinch a well-deserved bronze medal.
A six-team tournament was fought out at the Holyhead Leisure Centre on the Isle of Anglesey. Jersey’s first of five matches came against the hosts, and eventual gold medallists, Ynys Mon.
Jersey player Cameron Stables discussed how tough the first game was: “We got there the evening of the opening ceremony, and the first game was the next morning. It was a bit of a shock to us, it took us a while to get going against a top-class side.”
Jersey started well, leading in the first half, but they were eventually dominated by the hosts. The Caesareans suffered a 73-56 loss on day one of the Games.
It was somewhat expected that the hosts would win the gold medal on home soil as they boasted a brilliant starting five. Their squad comprised a few ex-professionals including the tournament MVP, Adam Williams.
Head coach Stuart Gilmour appreciated the level of opposition and declared it stood them in good stead for the remainder of the tournament: “They were a good side, they had the home court advantage, and were undefeated throughout the week.”
“But, we held our own in the first half and it showed everybody the level that we needed to be at, so in some respects it was good to get that game first as it mentally prepared us for the rest of the week.”
A challenging start for the Jersey squad was worsened by a dramatic end to the second game. Jersey faced the Faroe Islands, who effectively stole the silver medal in the dying embers of their head-to-head bout.
Jersey held an emphatic 25-point lead at the halfway point of game number two following what Gilmour described as “the best half of basketball we’ve played in a long time”.
However, the Jersey side capitulated in the second half, and, due to a lack of experience alongside some complacency, Jersey lost out to a last-ditch corner three.
Stables said: “They chipped away at our lead in the third, they brought our lead to just two points with six seconds remaining. A time-out was called and they drained the three from the corner to beat us.”
The Faroe Islands snatched a 63-62 victory following a ruthless second-half performance. Gilmour was disappointed with the result: “It was an amazing game from a neutral perspective, but it was unfortunate to be on the wrong end because we would have potentially got silver had we won.”
“After having such a commanding lead, they [Faroe] came out in the second half and turned up the intensity. They moved the ball quicker, and even with our lead we struggled to regain momentum. The team lacked the experience needed to close out the game.”
Due to the unfortunate loss in game two, Jersey were aware that they needed to win all three of their remaining fixtures to secure a medal.
Jersey produced a much more composed and well-rounded performance in game three against the Falkland Islands. A 20-point lead at half-time put them in a familiar position.
Gilmour and his players remained confident and displayed tactical excellence to see out their first win of the tournament.
Gilmour broke down their approach: “We knew they were a decent team, but we identified that we needed to run at them and dominate them from underneath as they were the smaller team.”
“We managed to keep the momentum this time. We had the lessons learned from the previous match to get over the line.”
Jersey’s star man, Kursley Basse, demonstrated his athletic prowess in game three. Basse scored 22 points, contributing eight assists and eight rebounds, the closest any athlete came to a triple-double throughout the week.
Game four held a Channel Island derby with Jersey facing their bitter rivals Guernsey.
Guernsey have dominated the fixture over the last decade, but with Jersey’s extra fire in the belly knowing they had to win, the reds prevailed in a fierce contest.
The game was a physical battle played at an especially high intensity. Jersey got off to the perfect start, dominating throughout the first half. Despite Guernsey’s best efforts, Jersey were able to carry the momentum into the third and fourth to win 73-67.
Stables discussed the physicality of the game: “The game was very high intensity. The officiating was very different to what we have locally. They allowed play to go on and the physicality was somewhat encouraged.”
Gilmour used his knowledge of the Guernsey side to produce an important win: “We identified their threats and took the game to them, which is something we haven’t done previously. Our confidence is what got us over the line, I think we have had a lack of belief in previous years.
“It was a great battle and a really good game. Beating Guernsey was the stepping stone we needed to win the bronze medal.”
Back-to-back wins set up a bronze medal showdown between Jersey and the Isle of Man. Basse led the charge in game five, delivering an impressive double-double to secure a 58-52 victory for Jersey. His MVP performance, scoring 15 points and 14 assists, guided the reds to victory.
Gilmour was impressed with the continued intensity and vigour of his squad: “Even at the end of a long week, the freshness of the squad meant we took the game to them and managed to close it out, which was a delight for the whole team.
“As a squad we had the advantage of the rotations, everyone played their part, myself and James the assistant coach did the best we could and on the whole I think we did well to get the team prepared for each game.”
The men’s coach was full of praise for his players, especially Basse: “He [Basse] was the most athletic player in the tournament, he really stepped up. His defensive rebounds were immense, he’s an amazing player to have because he brings everyone up a level and helps others play to their potential as well.”
Gilmour and his squad are now looking forward to the 2027 Island Games in the Faroe Islands, where the sport will return to the main event after its absence from Orkney this year.
