The Celtic Invitational 2024, proudly sponsored by Titanic Quarter, showcased a thrilling display of youth basketball talent this past weekend at De La Salle College, Belfast. Team NI U15 Men and Women took on their Welsh counterparts in a series of intense matches, with both teams delivering standout performances that culminated in victories across the board.
Saturday: A Commanding Start for Team NI
The action kicked off on Saturday with the U15 Men setting the tone for the weekend. Team NI dominated the court, securing a resounding 104-62 victory over Wales. The team’s captain, Kyran Houlahan, led by example, scoring an impressive 27 points. Layden O’Neil was equally pivotal, contributing 20 points and a remarkable 20 rebounds, showcasing his prowess on both ends of the court. Other impressive scorers were Oisin Holman and Finn Dolliver both scoring 17 and 16 points respectively.
Later in the afternoon, the U15 Women continued the winning momentum. In a hard-fought game, they emerged victorious with a 66-55 win. Hannah Cassin and Cora McCaughey were hard to guard on day 1 with the duo scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. Cora also pulled down an incredible 18 rebounds. They were ably supported by Niamh Napier with 8 points and Catriona Blaney and Niamh McCarville with 6 each. New sentence The team withstood a determined fightback from Wales who were only down by one after 3 quarters. An outstanding last quarter ,where they scored 27 points enabled Team NI to gain the deserved victory.
Sunday: Maintaining the Momentum
Sunday saw Team NI U15 Men and Women back in action, determined to replicate their success from the previous day. The U15 Men once again showcased their dominance, securing a decisive 91-52 victory. Both Layden O’Neill and Kyran Houlahan replicated their day one performances and dominated the scoring stats. Layden’s 26 points and captain Kyran’s 27 points were too much for their Welsh counterparts. Oisin Holman contributed 11 points and Liam Carson 8. The team closed out the 40 point win with a 32 point last quarter.
The U15 Women wrapped up the weekend with another determined performance, defeating Wales 62-49 in a close encounter. Team NI held a 2-point lead at half-time after Wales had fought back well from an early deficit. The second half was as close as the first but a late scoring run by the girls closed out the win. Top scorers were Niamh Napier with 14 points, Caitlyn Barr with 13 , Hannah Cassin with 12 and Ciara Gribben with 9.
A Word From the Coaches
It was a really positive weekend for our group at the Celtic Invitational. This time last year, getting beaten three times in a row by Wales felt like a distant memory. The players have truly bought into our performance pathway and have embraced everything we’ve thrown at them this year, and the results speak for themselves. There’s still a lot of work to do if we want to push on and compete with other teams and nations, but these results have given us great confidence that we’re heading in the right direction. It’s been a real team effort, from the commitment of the players and parents to the work behind the scenes by all the BNI staff. I’m looking forward to continuing to support the development of this group.
Michael McCabe, Team NI U15 Men’s Co-Head coach
Lexi Posset, Team NI U15 Women’s Assistant CoachIt was a great opportunity to step into the head coaching role this weekend with Aoife as we took on Wales. It was a great stepping stone for the U15 girls as we showed we can compete and win at the International level.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
The Celtic Invitational 2024 would not have been possible without the dedication and support of many individuals and organizations. A special thank you goes out to Basketball Wales for making the journey and contributing to a weekend of fantastic basketball. The event was further enriched by the hard work of the table officials and referees, whose professionalism ensured smooth and fair play throughout.
The weekend was proudly sponsored by Titanic Quarter and we thank them for their ongoing support.
Finally, a big thank you to the fans and parents from BNI. Your unwavering support and enthusiasm created an electrifying atmosphere that motivated our young athletes to perform at their best.
As the weekend concluded, it was clear that the Celtic Invitational 2024 was a resounding success. The event highlighted the talent and potential of youth basketball in Northern Ireland, and we look forward to many more exciting matchups in the future.