Collyer's basketball coach ends reign on a high

This week Collyer’s men’s basketball bid an emotional farewell to coach Dom Evans, as they beat Canterbury School 72-67 in a thrilling AOC South East League fixture at the Cowley Sports Hall. Canterbury dominated for long passages of play and as the game moved into the final quarter led by ten, but after a monumental Collyer's comeback the tie could have gone either way in the closing minutes. In the end Collyer's showed their class to edge the game in a thrilling finale. 

Collyer’s coach Dom Evans, regarded by many as one of the top up and coming elite practitioners in UK college basketball, said: “To win my final game in front our home fans was a fitting end. 

"Today's support at the Cowley Sports Hall gave us a massive boost as the game moved into the tense latter stages. The group maintained indefatigable intensity levels and stuck to the game plan to the very end against a quality Canterbury side.

"I'm proud of the boys for battling all through the game and finishing so strongly, which is the culture I've tried to drill into my teams over my time at Collyer's."

Collyer’s Head of Sports Academy, John Burroughs said: “Coach Evans has taken basketball to the next level and his impact on basketball and our sport academies programme has been wonderful.”      

During Dom Evans' Collyer's stewardship, he has coached men's Association of Colleges (AOC) South East Regional Championship winners, finished second in the men's National Association of Collyer’s Championships and notched numerous men's Tudor Derby and El Classico wins against powerful teams from Christ's Hospital and BHASVIC respectively. Men's Basketball were also crowned Collyer's Sports team of the year for the first time in 2019. In 2021 the class of '21 team were narrowly beaten by a legends team comprising some of the greatest players to wear the Collyer's jersey. Asked about his favourite moment, Dom said: "Gaining ABL, the pre-cursor to the College Basketball League, status in 2021. That was special, particularly as I started my time at the college in 2014 playing just friendlies. It's been an amazing journey!" 

The Collyer's players dedicated this thrilling victory to Dom. A fitting tribute.