Inverness Lions under-14 girls’ basketball team defeat Falkirk Fury to become 2025 Scottish champions

Inverness Lions Basketball Club’s under-14 girls put in a dominant performance in their biggest game of the season to be able to call themselves Scottish champions.

The team had already finished in first place in Scotland’s highest league, winning 13 of their 14 matches.

It was often not even close either, averaging 77 points while only conceding an average of 34 points per game.

Still, the format of the competition meant that the Lions still had to win one more match to be able to call themselves national champions, against runners-up Falkirk Fury at the Caledonia Gladiators Arena in Glasgow.

Matches between the two clubs have generally been closely-fought affairs this season, but the Lions put in a very impressive display to win 80-43.

Jessica Gibson was the star performer for the Lions, winning the most valuable player prize after scoring 25 points on her own, before captain Maisie Levens lifted the trophy.

Head coach and club chairman John Kerray said: "The team have put in a lot of hard work over the last two years to put themselves in a position to be competing with the biggest clubs in Scotland.

“It all came together on Sunday in the play-off Final against Falkirk Fury, who are one of the traditional powerhouses of Scottish basketball.

“It was a dominant performance from all the Lions players, winning 80-43, and it was great to be able to do it in the amazing Gladiators Arena at PlaySport.”

Although called the Inverness Lions, the club are representative of players from across the Highlands.

Players come from Inverness secondary schools Charleston Academy and Millburn Academy, as well as Dornoch Academy and Nairn Academy and primary schools Crown and Milton of Leys.

That means that the Lions collectively rack up the miles for home games, never mind competing against clubs from all over Scotland in places like Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow and Paisley.

The next challenge on their agenda, though, will see them go even further afield, as they compete at the International Basket Cup from Thursday, April 17, in Valencia, Spain.

The Lions will receive this week off, before preparations start in earnest for taking on the best in Europe on the continent.

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