Our Lady of Perpetual Hope Cruises To Victory

In the first half, Our Lady of Perpetual Help came out with a strong lead of 23-2. One of the key players was number 13, Amor Maker, who earned 10 points for her team in the first half. On Metro's team, number 21, Mykalah Melton had a couple steals and 1 rebound for the half.

In the second half, number 20, Lia Wahl from Our Lady of Perpetual Help made 3 points for her team and had a couple steals. On Metro's team number 22, Elisse Ayala made a 2 pointer and grabbed 4 rebounds. The final score of the game was 29-12, with Our Lady coming out on top.

St. Raphael Holds on Against Gilmour

Both teams started off the first period fairly even at 2-2, but St. Raphael began to pull away towards the end of the first period. The Lancers go into the second period trailing behind 2-11. Less than two minutes into the second period and St. Raphael scores 5 more points to bring the score to 2-17. The Lancers begin their comeback nearing the end of the second period. The Lancers are trailing by 8 with a score of 12-20 to guide them into the third period. It’s looking like the Lancers are beginning to chip away at St. Raphael and start to shrink the gap between scores. 

To start the third period off, two well executed plays help the Lancers achieve two 2-point shots back-to-back as well as a foul by St. Raphael allows the Lancers to bring the score to 18-24. With just 3 minutes left in the third period, the Lancers have managed to come back to make the score 27-31, but St. Raphael is fighting to keep their lead. Going into the fourth period, the score is 32-36 with St. Raphael still hanging on to the lead. With under 4 minutes left in the fourth period, St. Raphael has managed to achieve a 14-point gap with a score of 35-49. While both teams played a very good game, I believe that the chemistry for St. Raphael was better, leading to their 57-53 win over the Lancers.

Gesu Edges St. Francis

Both teams came out feisty and ready to play, with Sean Martin, number 12, scoring first for Gesu. Michael Krebs answered back, scoring two points for St. Francis, with Emerson White adding a free throw to the scoreboard as well. Sandy Kavcic added two baskets, followed by Brayden Daniels scoring two to keep the competition close. David Miller added a three to get the people off of their feet, with just a couple minutes left in the first half. Right after, Michael Krebs made another basket to put St. Francis in the lead at the end of the first half, 13-9.

Gesu came out hungry for victory in the second half. Sean Martin made one of his free throws to get Gesu to 10 points on the scoreboard. This was followed by Tommy Gurney putting two up for St. Francis. Rich Koston put up a three for Gesu to tighten up the deficit. Shortly after, David Miller put up another three to tie the game at 17-17. Mac Rottinghaus took the lead with a three, putting St. Francis ahead 20-17. After an intense back and forth final quarter, Gesu came out on top, winning against St. Francis 27- 22.

St. Raphael Looks to Repeat; Starts Strong

By Drezdan Dale

St. Raphael opened the game on an impressive 16 to 0 run, knocking down shots and playing extremely tight defense. At the end of the quarter, St. Paschal's Georgie Forte made a three, getting St. Paschal on the board. Early on in the second quarter for St. Raphael, Sophie Georgiadis made two free throws and then knocked down a three on the ensuing possession. St. Paschal's Nara Carlton made a three to make things 24 to 7, but St. Raphael responded with a three of their own on the next possession. However, Carlton came back down and drilled her second consecutive basket, this time a deep jump shot. At the end of the half, St. Raphael led 27 to 9.

In the second half, Forte made a jumper for St. Paschal, hoping to make a comeback. St. Raphael responded with two straight baskets and a few great defensive stops to add on to their commanding lead. Sophie Georgiadis nailed another three, and followed that with a jump shot, making the score 36 to 11 for St. Raphael. At the end of the third quarter, St. Raphael led 44 to 13. In the fourth quarter, both teams exchanged a few buckets and turnovers. Forte hit a deep three towards the end of the quarter, making the final score 49 to 19 for St. Raphael. After the game, Georgiadis said she was pleased with her team's ability to "work as a team" throughout the entire game.

Lady Bulldogs Win Opener

By Drezdan Dale

In a tightly contested battle between GESU and St. Francis of Assissi, GESU Margaret Castellenos banked in a 3 to get things rolling for their offense. St. Francis center Megan Palinski responded with a bucket of her own. After a three by GESU's Mary Klug, Palinski came back down the court and drained a long range jumper. After the first quarter, the score was tied up at 7 to 7. Early on in the second quarter, St. Francis opened things up with a 8-0 run. Maylin PetKac for GESU ended the scoring for second quarter with a three. At halftime, St. Francis lead 14-10.

After a few missed shots by both teams early on in the second half, Saint Francis Katy Puletti made a fastbreak layup and was fouled on the play. After missing the ensuing free throw, she grabbed her own rebound and drove to the lane, making another layup, and gave Saint Francis the lead, 18-10. After three quarters, Saint Francis led 22 to 11. To get things started in the fourth quarter GESU Molly Castellanos recorded an outstanding block, leading to a layup by Klug on the other end. Two possessions later, GESU Aaliyah Gundani made a driving layup, closing the St. Francis lead to 22 to 16. With time running down and her team's lead dwindling, Palinski drilled a dagger for St. Francis with a minute left, making the score 25 to 17. After a basket and free throw by GESU, St. Francis was able to shut down a final possession by GESU and win, 25 to 20. After the game, St. Francis's Palinski said, "We tried our best, but we have room for improvment", while Katie Puletti said,"The ultimate goal is to win the tournament, especially since it's our eigth grade year", making it known that the team has their sights set on big accomplishments for the rest of this tournament.

STATS

St. Paschal Cruises to Victory

Within 50 seconds of the game starting, the St. Paschal Knights scored to leave Emmanuel Christian Academy at a 7-point disadvantage. ECA started contributing points with the help of Darius Wright, Miles Chapman, and Ta’Shawn Thomas during the first period. Jimmy Lawless of the Knights lead the team with 14 points with Lex Kekic following with 13 points while Ta’Shawn Thomas of ECA lead his team with 9 points. At halftime, the St. Paschal Knights lead the game with a 28-point deficit against Emmanuel Christian Academy.

The Knights remained strong as Kekic had two offensive rebounds and seven defensive rebounds. Thomas’ 3-pointer bumped ECA into double digits. While the Knights’ offense remained strong throughout the game, ECA’s defense had defining moments with D’airs Powers having two blocks, Aaron Fuqua with one block, and Ta’shawn Thomas with one block. The final score of Emmanuel Christian Academy vs. St. Paschal Baylon is 64-14.

St. Raphael Wins The Morrissey Classic

After two days of tournament play, the 8th grade boys’s Championship match was set.  Tournament host GESU faced off against St. Raphael with a chance to earn the tournament trophy.  Realizing this, GESU came out strong, holding a 10-7 lead after the first quarter.  

However, St. Raphael quickly responded by going on an 11-2 run during the first 7 minutes of the second quarter.  The rest of the quarter was a back and forth affair that saw the visiting team head into halftime with a 22-14 lead.  

Leading St. Raphael at the half was hunter moriarity who had a game-high 10 points for the visiting team.  On the other side, GESU’s leading scorer was Charlie Snelling who had 6 points.

After the break, GESU attempted to retake the lead by coming out shooting.  St. Raphael’s however, responded each time and more to GESU and managed to maintain 31-23 lead heading into the final quarter.

With only one quarter left in the game, both teams were set to make one final push.  In the end, it would be St. Raphael’s that would make the stronger effort, out-scoring GESU 15-5 in the fourth quarter.

With a final score of 46-28, St. Raphael’s was crowned the champions of the 8th grade boys division of the Morrissey classic.  St. Raphael’s was led by Nolan Spicer, who scored a game-high 19 points.  GESU’s leading scorer was Charlie Snelling, who contributed 11 points during the match.  St. Raphael’s shot 44% from the field, compared to 30% from GESU.

St. Raphael Wears the Crown; are Morrissey Classic Champions

Tensions were high, the teams were competitive, and the game was great. The eight grade girls championship game at the Morrissey Classic between Gesu and St. Raphael was one for both teams to remember.

The first quarter was low scoring, as both teams had to take their time to settle in to the championship atmosphere. A championship atmosphere it was as the Bulldogs and Raiders battled in front of a crowd with students, parents, and fans from both respective teams.

Gesu went on a 5-0 run to start the match, causing St. Raphael to burn a time out. The Raiders of St. Raphael returned off the bench with three points in mind to close out the half. However, the Bulldogs would establish an 8-3 advantage at the end of the first.

To start the second #42 for the Bulldogs, Clark, anchored another five point scoring run to open up the quarter. Clark drove to the hoop, getting fouled and still making the shot.

The Raiders would string together a late comeback in the second quarter, scoring six points before the break. The Bulldogs would hold the 16-9 advantage at the end of the first half.

A well-rested St. Raphael would show an outburst on the offensive end. The Raiders outscored the Bulldogs 8-2 within the first four minutes of the second half, positioning themselves within one point of tying the game.

St. Raphael gained their first lead of the game as #14 Zapior made a shot that gave her team the 21-20 advantage with 1:14 left in the third quarter. The Raiders would enter the last quarter of regulation with the 23-20 lead, the largest of the day up to this point. 

The Bulldogs would have #15 Olack foul out, eliminating their one lone reservethat they had in the game.

The Raiders kept their foot on the gas, gaining the 30-25 advantage with 2:29 left in the contest. 

Gesu worked to cut the lead, as they made it a one possession game with 1:38 left. The Bulldogs burnt one of their timeouts, hoping their five players wouldgain some rest.

Despite hoping to gain an advantage by giving their players rest, St. Raphael muscled their way out of the Morrissey Classic with a 32-27 victory.

Clark led the way with 14 points for Gesu. #23 Castellanos had nine rebounds and seven points for the Bulldogs. #35 Anghilante had 11 rebounds and gave 5points, with Zapior scoring 8 points.

Bulldogs win 7th Grade Boys Championship

The seventh grade boys Morrisey championship was a thriller between Gesu and St. Paschal. During the first quarter, both teams traded scores making it 7-7 at the end of play.

The second quarter was a nightmare on the offensive end for both teams — that was until #35 from Gesu had an “and-one” play that tied the game up at 10 points a piece. Gesu closed out the half making the score 15-12.

In the third quarter, both teams displayed their competitive mentality, proving it would be a nail biter of a game.

The fourth quarter was a thriller, as both teams continued to go back-and-forth. Gesu held the 27-26 advantage with 1:28 left in regulation and never let it go despite an onslaught of defense by St. Pascals. Gesu wins the 7th Grade Championship 37-30.

St. Gabriels Gets a W off of St. Francis

In day two of the annual Morrissey Classic, St. Gabe’s defeated St. Francis 33-17. A slow start by St. Francis allowed for St. Gabe’s to establish a comfortable lead, one that would never be threatened in this competition.

St. Francis started to gain some momentum in the fourth quarter, causing three consecutive turnover for St. Gabe’s. In the end, St. Gabe’s prevailed and will move on to the championship.

by Rachel Hiestand

St. Raphael Wins 7th Grade Girls Championship

St. Joseph and John and St. Raphael would battle in the seventh grade girls championship at the Morrissey Classic. Despite only having six players on their side, St. Raphael would claim the championship with a 33-11 victory.

St. Raphael started the game with solid scoring. #42 for St. Raphael gave her team the 7-0 lead in the opening quarter off an “and-one” play. Her foul shot was unsuccessful, but the play was what mattered. #54 hit a layup at the buzzer, giving her team the 11-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

St. Joseph & John had some difficulty scoring, but did earn one point off a foul shot before the first half. St. Raphael took ahold of the 19-1 advantage at the end of the half.

Going into the third quarter, St. Raphael possessed a 28-5 lead. 

St. Raphael wins the 7th Grade Girls Championship, 33-11.

7th Grade Preppers Prevail

Both teams were excited and ready to go for some Sunday afternoon basketball in the Morrissey Classic.

University jumped out to an 11-2 lead at the end of the first quarter and they never looked back.

In the middle of the second quarter, #3 for University was able to tap away the ball from St. Mary’s and showed great hustle to get on the floor and fight for the loose ball. University propelled to an 18-4 lead.

At the half, University held a 23-5 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, the players of St. Mary Chardon continued to put up good looking shots, but none would go down for the Vikings.

University dominated the offensive glass, in the third quarter, as they had many chances to convert. At the end of the third quarter, University stretched their lead to 34-6 over St. Mary Chardon.

St. Mary Chardon fought hard until the end and never gave up even though the scoreboard may not reflect that.

University was in control for the entire game and they claim a 40-6 win over St. Mary Chardon.

-Mark Grabowski

St. Raphael Edges Holy Trinity

At the end of the first quarter the Raiders of St Raphael had a dominating 16-7 lead over Holy Trinity, lead by #41 getting key rebounds in the paint. The Eagles of Holy Trinity didn’t roll over, fighting to regain the lead, led by #3 who had a free throw to make it a one point game.  At the half the Raiders had a nine point lead over the Eagles.

At the end of the 3rd the eagles clawed their way back to make it a one point game, led by #24 who made an important free throw that helped the eagles make up their deficit. With 5 minutes left in the game #24 made an important and one to tie the game at 37, but the Raiders bounced back scoring a quick bucket by #55. The Raiders took their lead back after a pair of free throws taking their lead to 48-43. The Raiders of St Raphael advance in the tournament after a 52-43 victory.

OLPH Hits Cruise Control, Takes This Place

Our Lady of Perpetual Help got off to a blazing hot start. Within the first seven minutes of the opening quarter, OLPH went on a 12-0 run to open the game. #22 and #3 each had five points, igniting a big scoring day between the two.

Being down 12 points did not faze University School. US countered with a 9-0 run to close out the quarter. #3 for U-School topped off the scoring in the first quarter, by hitting a put-back shot at the buzzer. OLPH still led 12-9 at the end of the first.

At the start of the second quarter, OLPH went on yet another flame filled run. They outscored US 10-2, making the score 22-12 at the 5:37 mark in the second.

OLPH closed out the first half with an impressive 36-21 lead.

Anchored by #14 for University School, they were able to cut the lead to single digits with 41 seconds left in the third quarter. He had 17 of his team’s 38 points for US. At the end of the third quarter, OLPH led 49-40.

OLPH refused to give University School any hope, as they won the ball game 62-49.

Communion of Saints Breezes Past Metro Catholic

Metro Catholic and Communion of Saints played a back and forth opening first quarter with a score of 7-7 to get the game underway. Tenacious defense from both teams resulted in many steals and lots of transition basketball to try and beat the defense down for open layups.

Communion of Saints had great ball movement on offense in the early going that resulted in many easy finishes for the Sabres.

With less than a minute remaining in the second quarter, #2 for Metro Catholic came off of a screen and nailed a three pointer to cut the Communion Saints lead to 14-13.

At the halftime break, Metro Catholic held a slim lead of 15-14. #50 for Metro Catholic led her team at halftime with 5 points and 3 rebounds. #25 for Communion of Saints led her team with 5 points and 3 rebounds, as well.

In the middle of the third quarter, Communion of Saints raced out on a early run with two layups by #11 and one by #42 as they reclaimed a 22-15 lead. Communion of Saints would then extend their lead to 11 points.

Metro Catholic picked up their offense at the end of the quarter and went on a run to only give Communion of Saints a 28-20 advantage heading into the final quarter of play.

Both teams wanted to come away with a win, but Communion of Saints stayed strong with their lead and was able to come away with a 39-26 win over Metro Catholic.

-Mark Grabowski