Saints Triumph in Overtime Thriller Against Westville (as reported by Head Coach, Darren Holcomb)
This past Saturday, basketball fans were treated to a thrilling encounter between Westville Boys’ High (home) and St Charles College (visitors), with the Saints emerging victorious after an intense overtime battle.
The game was closely contested from the tip-off, with Westville holding a narrow lead through the first three quarters. St Charles College struggled to find its rhythm offensively in the early stages but managed to keep the game within reach through disciplined defence and persistence on the boards. Each time the Saints threatened to close the gap, Westville responded with poise and composure to maintain their advantage.
Defensively, Westville alternated effectively between man-to-man coverage and a compact 2-3 zone, disrupting the Saints’ offensive flow and forcing some difficult shots. St Charles College, in turn, relied on a zone defence of its own to clog the lane and limit Westville’s penetration, forcing the home side into lower percentage perimeter attempts.
In a dramatic final quarter, St Charles College seemed to have seized control, opening up a six-point lead with just over a minute remaining. However, a few costly turnovers by the visitors, combined with Westville’s full-court man-to-man press, allowed the home side to claw their way back and tie the game with only seven seconds on the clock.
The Saints had a final chance to win in regulation but were denied the opportunity when a player stepped on the sideline before taking the shot. Westville had one last possession with five seconds left but failed to convert, sending the contest into overtime.
The extra period, however, belonged entirely to St Charles College. Showing renewed energy and composure, the Saints attacked the basket aggressively, drawing repeated fouls and calmly sinking their free throws. Their dominance at the charity stripe secured them a well-deserved 10-point victory, a testament to their resilience and focus under pressure.
The fixture showcased the very best of schoolboy basketball; high-intensity competition played with skill, passion, and sportsmanship. St Charles College will look to carry this momentum into their final game of the season as they host Michaelhouse this coming weekend.
Saints vs Westville – 1st XI Cricket (as reported by Head Coach, Divan van Wyk)
This past weekend, the St Charles College First XI travelled to Westville to take on Westville Boys’ High School in a 50-over fixture. Earlier this season, the Blue and Gold had the upper hand when they defeated Westville in the One Life Insurance Eston T20 competition. This time, however, the challenge was away from home and in a different format.
Winning the toss, St Charles College elected to bat first. Early conditions slightly favoured the bowlers, but with the sun breaking through and a hard surface underneath, the grassy cover offered minimal assistance. Tentative batting from the top order meant early pressure on the visitors’ innings. Good innings’ from captain Rico Honiball and Connor Simpson brought some stability, before a late flurry from Connor Vogt (20* not out) helped the team to reach 123 all out in 36 overs.
While the wicket wasn’t overly difficult, the 1st XI’s approach lacked their usual attacking intent, and they likely finished 40–60 runs short of a defendable total.
In response, Westville’s innings began shakily — much like their earlier chase against DHS — losing three quick wickets. At 89 for 3, the hosts seemed to have regained control, but St Charles College fought back superbly. A fiery spell of bowling triggered a mini-collapse, and Westville were left struggling at 111 for 8. Unfortunately, a couple of key moments didn’t go St Charles’ way, and Westville managed to scrape through to a narrow and hard-fought victory.
Despite the result, there were many positives to take forward — particularly the resilience, intensity in the field, and signs of continued improvement across all departments. The 1st XI will look to finish the season strongly as they host Michaelhouse in the final week of cricket.
