Basketball: Winning stands out in Gillespie’s team

MALCOLM Winning helped GB win a bronze medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Festival in January – and last week he stood out in the James Gillespie’s team that won the Scottish Schools’ Open final in Grangemouth.

The score against Arbroath High School was 94-67 and Gillespie’s also won the under-14 championship for a great boys’ double.

In the girls’ events, there were doubles for Cullodan Academy (senior 1 and under-15) and Arbroath High School (under-14 and Open). Arbroath also finished runners-up in the Under-15s.

“It was great to win for the school,” said Malcolm, a fifth-year pupil who hopes to be back to defend next season.

“This year, my goal is to keep playing at Scottish National squad level and get into the GB Under-20 team. After I leave school I want to go to the US on a college scholarship.”

It was Malcolm’s long-range shooting that stood out in the final against a talented Angus outfit.

The Edinburgh team led 11-0 after two minutes and 30-10 at the end of the first quarter.

It was 59-30 by half-time, 76-48 after the third quarter and a comfortable 94-67 at the end.

Gillespie’s coach, Jamie Vernon, was delighted with his troops. Now 22, he has been coaching the squad since he left school.

“I have taken some of the boys from first year upwards,” he said. “They were smaller than me when they started.

“Malcolm was in the winning under-14 team in 2010 and Sam Stott captained the under-15s to victory last year and is now in the Open squad.”

Brothers Calum and Miles Peterson were in the Open line-up – and there was also another family celebration. Thomas Skinner was a key member of the Open squad, while younger brother, Nicholas, was in outstanding form in captaining the under-14s to a 50-40 victory over Stewarton Academy.

In the girls’ events, stand-out performances came from Scotland under-18 international duo Cara Black (38 points) and Yhana Van Wees (27 points) for Arbroath High School in the Open final.

Over 120 secondary schools took part in this season’s schools’ championships and they took part in around 550 matches.

RESULTS

BOYS Senior 1: Falkirk High School 47 Millburn Academy 26; Under-14: James Gillespie’s High School 50 Stewarton Academy 40

Under-15: Queen Anne High School 66 St Thomas of Aquin’s High School 44

Open: James Gillespie’s High School 94 Arbroath High School 67

GIRLS Senior 1 : Culloden Academy 38 Portobello High School 23

Under-14: Arbroath High School 42 Dunbar Grammar School 38

Under-15: Culloden Academy 56 Arbroath High School 55

Open: Arbroath High School 98 Falkirk High School 38

WINNING TEAMS

Boys Senior 1 Falkirk High School (Ben McGinlay, Ethan Lee, Rian March, Daniel Olubolade, Zac Hastings, Jamie McAllister, Adam Rutter, John Proctor, Rory Devine, Alex Hastings, Jamie Bird, Mitchell Stirling)

Under-14 James Gillespie’s High School (Struan Panton, Leith Cameron-Hunwick, Ruaridh Wilson, Cameron McMorran, Nicholas Skinner, Jack Pickup, Sam Allison, Declan Hoyland, Brendan Ball, Angus Beattie, Isaac Finlayson)

Under-15 Queen Anne High School (John Muir, Jordan Catto, Ewan Pennie, Greg Reid, Stewart Morgan, Finlay Vipond, Andrew MacKibben, Matthew Timms, Alexander Boggon, Ewan MacPhail, Douglas Gourlay, Jake Sirrell, Ewan Davey)

Open James Gillespie’s High School (Tony Low-Macrae, Campbell Watt. Cameron Pullar, Thomas Skinner, Jed Corney, Malcolm Winning, Miles Peterson, Matthew Wells, Mahdi Ben-Harrou, Sam Stott, Calum Peterson, Sean Reid, David Avern, Ronan McIntyre)

Girls Senior 1 Culloden Academy (Dani MacDonald, Mirin Johnston, Erin Swanson, Bath MacKenzie, Charlie Carson, Alix Henderson Emma Brandie, Holly Laing, Anna Thomson, Isla Dowling, Emily Dickson)

Under-14 Arbroath High School (Poppy Willox, Kirsten Gauld, Katrina Smart, Kali Bell, Naimh Feighan, Caoilfhin Crompton, Kelsey McFarlane, Emily Burns, Nicola Fairlie, Kirsty Watson, Ellie Callon, Taylor Smith)

Under-15 Culloden Academy (Cara Fraser, Erin Grant, Courtney Macdonald, Mollie Lisle, Emma Campbell, Daisy MacGowan, Rhianna Gibson, Rachel Hay, Elise Ross, Caitlan Sleet, Anna Snedden, Chloe Pounder)

Open Arbroath High School (Kate Richards, Caitlin McLoughlin, Yhana Van Wees, Erin Moore, Courtney Marsden, Cara Black, Gabrielle McCormick, Gemma Harrison, Beth Clarke, Caitlin McFarlane)