Last weekend in Colchester, both the Senior Men’s and Women’s 3×3 teams successfully competed and qualified for the finals of the UK’s largest 3×3 basketball competition, Ball Out, which will be held this upcoming weekend in London.
Representing Northern Ireland with pride, the teams showcased skill, physicality and determination throughout the tournament. Despite having limited time to gel as a unit, they managed to secure their spots in the anticipated national finals this coming weekend.
Lucien Christofis, a key player for the Senior Men’s team, reflected on the tournament, saying, “For a team who haven’t played together long, I think we had great chemistry, fed off each other’s energy, and played good, physical basketball.” Christofis, a Brighton native with Northern Irish roots, was instrumental in the team’s performance, demonstrating both leadership and adaptability on the court.
The Senior Women’s team also impressed, with Charley McGrath expressing her excitement for the upcoming finals. “This weekend was a good taster of what’s to come in London next weekend,” she said. “As a team, we haven’t played much together, but I feel we got better and better as the games went on. I’m excited for what’s to come for us as a team and what we can achieve. Big thanks to Basketball NI for all their continued support and opportunities.”
NI will also have an U18 Women’s team competing at the finals weekend, as well as a squad of 12 travelling to play a friendly game in London. Paddy McGaharan who has heavily featured for Team NI over the years will compete as part of the Senior Men’s 3×3 team as well as coaching the Girl’s team. He said, “We are really excited to be part of the biggest 3×3 tournament in the UK in Ball Out this weekend. Our girls are ready for the challenge and will no doubt face some really good competition from all over England.
The 3×3 game is continuing to get bigger and better and the girls have worked really hard at familiarising themselves with the nuances of the game, and adapting to the different style of play. This includes lots of practice and learning from watching a lot of clips, particularly the Olympic Games, where the 3×3 was played at such an impressive level in the women’s and men’s competition.
We are really looking forward to the weekend and I want to thank BNI for their continued support and commitment to getting our girls exposure to more basketball.”
Looking ahead, both the Senior Men’s and Women’s teams, along with the U18 Girls’ team, are ready and set to compete in the 3×3 National Finals in London on Saturday, 17th August, and Sunday, 18th August.
Senior Men’s Squad:
| Lucien Christofis | Akrane IA |
| Paddy McGaharan | Belfast Star |
| Conall Goan | UU Tigers |
| Callum Keys | Belfast Phoenix |
Senior Women’s Squad:
| Charley McGrath | Queens and Phoenix Rockets |
| Aoife Callaghan | UU Tigers |
| Ciara Cooke | UU Tigers |
| Ruth Gallagher | UU Tigers |
U18 Women’s Squad:
| Sophie Bell | UU Tigers |
| Lucy McDonnell | Belfast Star |
| Hannah McGirr | Belfast Star |
| Roisin Quinn | Belfast Star |
| Emma Gilgunn | UU Tigers |
| Eva Grant | North Star Warriors |
| Maeve Lyons | Tyrone Towers |
| Emily McGinnity | Blackwater Steelers |
| Helen McGeough | Queen’s BC |
| Eabha Rea | UU Tigers |
| Martha Reynolds | Belfast Phoenix |
Best of luck to the three teams competing this weekend in London.
Photography by Graham Hodges (@grahamhodges3).