31st January – 2nd February 2026,
Manchester, United Kingdom
On the weekend of January 31st, Trinity College Basketball Club travelled to Manchester with four teams to face the University of Manchester (U.O.M.) in a best-of-nine series!
Mixed Game:
The weekend tipped off with a two-hour mixed game, featuring over 30 Trinity students across both the club’s men’s and women’s squads. What followed was an electrifying, chaotic contest, with constant lead changes and non-stop action from start to finish. John Brennan shined for Trinity, pouring in double-digit points, highlighted by an emphatic fast-break dunk that lifted the entire bench to their feet. Despite some great 3-point shooting from the English side, Trinity managed to pull away with some of their most experienced players, such as Bree Shelley, Daniel O’Toole and Aoibhin Dunne taking control and leading the charge to seal a 7-point win.
TCD Men’s 1s:
Trinity Men’s 1s delivered a strong weekend in Manchester, recording two convincing wins over the University of Manchester. A balanced scoring display against the U.O.M.’s 2s second team resulted in TCD registering a comfortable 35-point with the backcourt pairing of Calvin Medidas and Diego Bodas providing consistent pace and penetration. On the wings, Kaiwen Yang and Daniel O’Toole stretched the floor effectively with perimeter shooting while Theo Lynn and John Brennan utilised their athleticism to finish through contact in the paint. In their second outing, Trinity faced a more challenging test against Manchester’s first team and responded well after a hesitant opening. A mid-game adjustment to a 3-2 zone defence disrupted Manchester’s rhythm, leading to several turnovers and transition opportunities which were converted by Eric Brandt, Samuel Rex and Gabriel Paunica. However, the standout performance came from Jens Ornehed, who recorded a career-high 40 points, scoring efficiently from all areas of the floor and knocking down seven three-pointers in a decisive display as TCD came out on top 85-66.
TCD Women’s 1s:
Despite missing a few key players, the Trinity Women’s 1s continued their winning ways by going two for two during the weekend. In their opening fixture against Manchester’s strongest team, TCD overcame an early Manchester run through composed transition play and fast breaks, with Ava Darcy running the offence at point guard and helping to break down Manchester’s zone. Rebecca Schmidt was a great spark off the bench as she came on and made strong, decisive takes to the basket as a dominant second quarter saw the Irish college build a 12-point lead heading into halftime. Momentum continued in Trinity’s favour in the third quarter as hot shooting from Aoibhin Dunne and Aimée Flynn, as well as strong rebounding by Theresa Hofbeck, resulted in TCD extending their lead. Strong defensive pressure from Jodi Geaney and clutch baskets from Lydia Rice ensured Trinity closed out a 62-46 victory. The Women’s 1s followed this up with a win over the U.O. M.’s 2s. Trinity started strongly and maintained momentum throughout, focusing on crisp set execution and effective off-ball movement in a performance highlighted by high energy and enjoyment across the squad.
TCD Men’s 2s:
The Men’s 2s also produced two outstanding performances in Manchester, coming away with double-digit victories in both games. Against Manchester’s fourth team, Trinity had an impressive start led by Luke Opalack, who scored 13 points in the opening quarter. That momentum carried into the later periods as TCD found success from the perimeter with Andrew Agosti, Ignacio Castrillon and Oisin O’Seachnasaigh all converting from beyond the arc. Lucas Calvey and Patrick McGrath provided valuable physicality and energy, competing for loose balls and setting the tone defensively, while Evan Nidesh’s sweet pullup jumper capped off a composed 69-40 win. Trinity maintained their intensity in the second game against Manchester’s third team. Elias Mocik and Simon Murphy used their strength to power to the basket for some tough finishes at the rim, while the standout moment of the game came from Ramon Palacios, who navigated carefully through an elevator screen to create space and nail a 3-pointer from the top of the key following a well-drawn timeout play. Trinity closed out the contest with a 50-33 win, rounding off a positive weekend for the Men’s 2s.
TCD Women’s 2s:
The Women’s 2s faced a demanding weekend against tough opposition, showing resilience and intensity across two challenging matchups. Against Manchester’s 1s, Trinity started off brightly with Valerija Dovbijenko hitting a smooth jumper from the top of the key and Jasmine McGuinness scoring from inside the paint. Despite trailing by eight points at halftime, Trinity remained competitive throughout the rest of the game. The duo of Inés Benito Massa and Paula Fernandez provided huge defensive pressure against Manchester’s guards, while Sarah Delaney contributed with some pivotal rebounding, resulting in a fantastic second-half defensive performance from Trinity. Ailsa Marrinan was huge on the offensive side of the court for the South Dublin side alongside Amber Chuah, who provided a timely long-range basket as TCD rounded a determined team performance in a 33-45 defeat. In their second game, following a venue change, the 2s continued to bring high energy despite dealing with fatigue as Paula Fernandez applied relentless defensive pressure and Vicky Polychronidou set the tone with her intense work rate. Although ultimately losing out by double digits, head coach Emma Mullins described the scoreline as “failing to reflect the effort and intensity shown, with the team leaving everything on the court”.
Overall, the trip proved successful for the club as Trinity Basketball Club won seven of the nine games while several younger members gained experience on their first basketball trip abroad. Trinity Basketball will now turn its attention to the business end of the season with Varsities, Colours and the Freshers tournament coming up.
