11 January 2026
Carrickpherish Sports Hall, Waterford
Final Score: Trinity College B.C. 80-76 SETU Waterford Vikings
Half-time: Trinity College B.C. 47-34 SETU Waterford Vikings
Top scorers Trinity: S.Rex 20, F.Grespan 18, O.Farley 18
Top Scorers Vikings: M.Huber 21, D.Sheehan 15, I.Prikhno 14
Trinity Basketball’s men’s club team faced Waterford Vikings in the penultimate round of the Men’s Basketball Ireland Development League (BIDL) group stage on Sunday, January 11th, in Waterford.
The game carried high stakes as a victory would guarantee Trinity a play-off spot with one game to spare in the group stage. Samuel Rex got the men’s club team on the board early, scoring two consecutive baskets with strong drives to the rim.
He then showcased his playmaking abilities, threading a slick bounce pass to set up Liam Smyth on the fast break for a rim-grazing finish. Trinity jumped out to an early eight–two lead. Waterford’s Jay Kavanagh prevented things from getting out of hand for the home side, scoring two mid-range pull-ups. Squad veteran Cedric Assambo used his experience and high basketball IQ to dominate in the post and on the boards. An exquisite use of footwork and head fakes saw Assambo trick his defender into biting on a fake before cleverly finishing around the rim. Captain Robbie Fidgeon-Kavanagh provided a huge boost off the bench for the south Dublin side. The former club captain scored 8 of his 12 points in the first quarter, punishing late close-outs from Waterford with pinpoint three-point shooting. Rex then found a cutting Dylan Flynn with a beautiful wrap-around pass for an easy two as Trinity poured in 29 points in an offensive masterclass of an opening quarter.
The second quarter saw the game slow down considerably for both sides. 11 foul calls and multiple turnovers resulted in a scrappy, stop-start period of play. Waterford stepped up their defensive intensity, disrupting Trinity’s offensive flow and forcing coach Aran Lee into taking a timeout. In his usual calm and composed manner, Lee instilled confidence in the squad as Trinity re-emerged from the timeout firing on all cylinders. Oscar Farley scored a couple of his signature floaters while Rex and Grespan stretched the floor with some three-pointers. Baskets from Smyth and Kavanagh pushed Trinity’s lead to 16 points. A last-second three-pointer from Waterford closed out the first half, with Trinity leading by 13 at the break.
The third quarter was dominated by the Munster side, as the Vikings outscored Trinity by eight, cutting the gap to just five points heading into the final quarter. The duo of Huber and Sheehan stood out for Waterford, complementing each other perfectly on offence. Huber was a constant threat from a distance, while Sheehan consistently caused problems inside the paint with his elegant touch at the rim. Oscar Farley came up huge in the quarter for the men’s club team, repeatedly being at the right at the right time with pivotal rebounding and inside scoring.
The start of the fourth quarter saw Trinity regain control, with Filippo Grespan exploding for seven consecutive points to push the lead back to nine. However, the sizeable advantage saw Trinity ease off slightly, and with lacklustre rebounding and sloppy defence, Waterford clawed back into the game, hitting consecutive three-pointers to narrow the gap to just three as the crowd rallied behind them. From leading comfortably the whole game, the men’s club team suddenly found themselves with their backs against the wall: a roaring crowd against them, multiple players on four fouls, and momentum fully with the Vikings. These are the moments where players dig deep. Samuel Rex rose to the occasion, scoring two consecutive baskets in crunch time, including an acrobatic scoop finish with his off-hand that stunned the opposition and silenced the crowd. Incredible defence from Assambo and clutch free-throws from Grespan allowed Trinity to avoid a last-quarter meltdown and escape with a narrow four-point lead.
Trinity is now four–one in the BIDL and have secured a spot for the BIDL play-offs starting in February for the second consecutive season. Trinity Basketball’s men’s club team will play their final game of the BIDL group stage on Sunday, January 25th, when they travel to Tipperary to take on Tipperary Talons. A victory would secure a home game in the Round of 16 of the Men’s BIDL play-offs for Trinity.
Quarter Scores:
Q1: 17–29 Q2: 17–18
Q3: 21–13 Q4: 21–20
Game Scores:
Q1: 17–29 Q2: 34–47
Q3: 55–60 Q4: 76–80
Trinity College Basketball Club: #2 Filippo Grespan, #11 Samuel Rex, #17 Dylan Flynn, #21 Alex Devitt, #23 Oscar Farley, #24 Daniel O’Toole, #26 Julien Conway, #29 Liam Smyth, #30 Robbie Fidgeon-Kavanagh, #34 Cedric Assambo
Head Coach: Aran Lee
SETU Waterford Vikings: #4 Charlie Murphy, #6 Andrew Makone, #7 Illia Prikhno, #8 Jay Kavanagh, #9 Denis Miculescu, #10 Paulius Miniotas, #11 Marius Huber, #12 Luca Maloney, #13 Michael Karankou, #15 Norris Philips, #21 Daniel Sheehan, #22 Nikita Kudrovs Head Coach: Dean Kavanagh
