Myerscough claim third EABL title

Myerscough College claimed their third EABL title and first since 2020 with a 83-72 win over Loreto College on Thursday in Essex.

“Coming into this year and coming to this game, I think the focus and the mindset was completely different,” said head coach Lewis Scott, who assisted last year’s losing final. “That was a hurt, one that hurt us.”

For long stretches, it looked like another final that would slip through Myerscough’s fingers. Twenty-five turnovers across a disjointed offensive display allowed Manchester Magic — the North Conference champions chasing a first title since 2010/11 — to lead in both the second and third quarters. But when Myerscough found their rhythm, the damage was devastating: an 18-2 third-quarter run flipped the contest, and a 10-2 fourth-quarter surge slammed the door shut.

“Our biggest asset this year has been our defense,” Scott said. “We knew we were going to have to win it on that end of the floor. And thankfully in the second half, we really showed that.”

Finals MVP Sayomi Laditan embodied that defensive identity. His eight points, 10 rebounds and seven steals won’t jump off the page, but his relentless energy on the biggest stage was what separated the sides. “I didn’t really expect it,” Laditan said of the award. “I feel like I just stuck to playing my role in the game, doing what I’ve been doing all season.”

When asked what the talk was when Manchester threatened to pull the game back: “The coach was just telling us to keep our head up. They were obviously going to come back because it’s the EABL Finals. No team’s just going to put their heads down and give up. But in the end, we were able to see it through.”

Harry Sheehan top scored with 20 points and Zach Trezvant added nine points and 13 rebounds, while Jack Walton’s 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds provided the main resistance for Manchester in a performance that deserved to be on the winning side.

For Scott, the victory carries extra weight. “This one feels like a collective championship. Every member of staff is with these guys every morning. There’s a C-suite in the practices, giving them as much attention as possible. It’s great that they’ve got the reward for all their hard work.”

And there’s no time to rest. “We travel back tonight. We’re prepared tomorrow because we have Division One playoffs starting on Saturday. Then over the Easter break, we have our European Super Finals to go to. There’s no rest for these guys.”

Stats.