FIVE basketball wizards have bounced their way on to North West squads after impressing with their ball-handling trickery.

The Barrow Thorns quintet – four girls and a boy – came through a tough selection programme to be picked to represent the region.

Emily Duerden, Emily Cox, Mollie Stronach, Caitlin Bilton and Henry Truman all earned the honour of pulling on the North West jersey.

Duerden and Cox were both named in the girls under-17s squad, with Stronach and Bilton in the under-15s and Truman – the first Thorns boys for several years to earn representative honours – in the under-15s as well.

All five were invited to take part in trials for their age group, with Thorns having a strong history of players making the grade across the age group span, from under-13s upwards.

In recent years, the female side of the club has been strong and some players have represented the North West at every age group.

This year was no exception and Duerden and Cox are two basketballers to have played for the North West at every level.

Both were picked for the under-17s squad this time round, although Cox was unable to take an active part in the tournament due to recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery on her knee during the summer.

The North West put out a strong team as usual, and made their way to the final against London.

In an intensely physical game, London held on to win by 10 points, despite a spirited late comeback by the North West, coached by another former Thorns player Katie Smith, now a qualified teacher and coach, who has led the team for the last two tournaments.

Stronach and Bilton negotiated the selection process successfully for the under-15s girls to represent the North West at their age group tournament in Sheffield.

They have spent the summer travelling to training and selection sessions in Manchester and Liverpool, having previously represented the North West at under-13s level.

For Truman, his selection for the North West boys under-15s squad made him the first male Barrow Thorn for several years to achieve representative honours. He too was part of the squad for the age group tournament in Sheffield.

All five will have high hopes of following club-mate Milly Knowles, who was the latest in a long line of Thorns to represent England when she played in the European Championships this summer.

Thorns girls coach Chris Smith said: “Playing in the regional development tournaments is the next step on a path that could lead to national team honours. But the matches are major representative tournaments in their own right.

“To have earned a place in the regional squad is a massive achievement and the players are now recognised as among the best players in the country.

“They have had to work hard to get this far, there has been a big time and financial commitment from their families too, given that most training is in Manchester.

“The players deserve their success and we at the club are really proud of them.”