Energy pulsed through the Coetzenburg Indoor Centre on Friday 1 August as Maties hosted UWC in a long-awaited basketball doubleheader. With memories of a USSA loss still fresh, students flooded in, eyes set on redemption. As the DJ played and chants echoed off the walls, the air was charged with hope. But only one team would leave with their story rewritten.
The Maties women delivered under pressure, sealing a thrilling 55–45 win. The game stayed tight through three quarters, with UWC keeping a slight edge early on. But a relentless Stellenbosch defense and rising crowd noise shifted the momentum. With just seconds left, Matie’s shooting guard Ingrid Tredoux blocked player Talitha Memani from UWC in a critical play that kept Maties ahead. Seconds later, she and Victoria Baton landed quick back-to-back baskets, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Shiloh Hamidi’s final-minute shot was the cherry on top.
“We pulled ourselves together, fixed our mistakes, and took the victory,” said Maties team captain. What began as a quiet arena had become a thunderous display of student spirit by the fourth quarter.
The men’s game, however, told a tougher tale. After a promising start – trailing just 25–26 at halftime – Maties lost their rhythm. UWC dominated the second quarter, and the home side entered the fourth down 38–54. Despite tireless crowd support, the bench looked deflated.
In one tense second-quarter moment, four players crashed to the floor in a messy tackle — a microcosm of Maties’ struggle for control. UWC’s Bevin Jones came off the bench to lead all reserve scorers with 11 points, while Maties’ Theodore Moss carried SU with 17.
“We couldn’t find our set plays,” Moss said. “[..]but we’ll bounce back. Practice will sort it out.”
Though only one team won on paper, Friday night proved something else: that Maties basketball – backed by its fans – is never short on fight, fire, or faith.
By Tenisha Taylor
Absolutely impeccable writing… wonderful writing. And congrats to the Women’s team. 🫶🙌🎉🎊🎈