Yesterday evening allowed me the chance to cover a third championship game in the past two days, as I made way into the nice campus of St. Christopher's School for a final Virginia Prep League (VPL) contest between St. Anne's-Belfield School (STAB) (Charlottesville, VA) and Trinity Episcopal School (TES) (Richmond, VA). Likewise to the 5B region title game between L.C. Bird High School and Varina High School that I checked out on Friday night (2/22), this was the third season matchup between TES and STAB, with the series evened out. I feel like the Titans approached last night in a more personal manner, however. The program had won the VPL title for the past two years and this year's team certainly didn't want to lose that streak. Ultimately, persistence ended in their favor and the Titans went on to collect the hardware for a third straight year, beating STAB 66-61. Both programs have now earned a bid to the state tournament.
Final Score
TES ' 66
STAB ' 61
Some Game/Team Notes
- Both teams went at each other all night long to make up a very exciting battle, full of fast-paced action. At first, it seemed like TES had a chance to pile up a comfortable lead when they went up by 11 at the end of the first period. However, STAB made it clear immediately afterwards that they weren't ever about to back down without a fight. The Saints played their best ball as the game continued by the minute, especially late in the second half when perimeter shots started to fall. They would've gotten off to a much better start if this same type of shot-making took place earlier on. Regardless, I admired the will displayed by STAB; their competitive nature made the game that much more enjoyable.
- TES' early lead emerged mainly due to their notable height advantage. STAB's tallest guy stood at 6'6', while the Titans have a starting frontcourt of 6'8' and 6'11.' While STAB's players undoubtedly gave much effort in trying to neutralize the opposing height, TES proved just too much in completing finishes off of missed perimeter shots. I feel that this recurring size advantage has acted as one of TES' most dangerous facets all winter. They should look to keep using it while competing in states. It's hard to stop a duo of that aforementioned size!
- The second half mainly saw the two teams trading buckets. It became the Nick Reese '20 and Malachi Poindexter '20 show for STAB once the two juniors really began to find their offensive groove and completely took over. Freshman 6'4' standout wing, Justin Taylor '22, briefly tied the game up at 55 before Poindexter hit a pull-up jumper to give the Saints their first lead of the night. One could feel the tension rise more and more in the gym during that final eight minutes; a lot of back-and-forth action.
- TES sealed the deal at the free-throw, as they got into the bonus with 3.5 minutes left on the clock. Late-game fouling helped them bump their lead to five during the final 40 seconds and all STAB could do was throw a last-second heave as the Titans' student section joined the players on the floor for an enthusiastic celebration. Free-throws haven't looked that good for TES throughout much of this season, especially when they played against STAB for a second time the other week. Nonetheless, they did solidly last night and definitely made the ones that mattered most. The players should feel proud of that late-game focus.
Saturday Night's Standouts
Henry Coleman '20 ' TES: Boy, did the star Titan enjoy his Saturday night: a double-double of 33 points/11 rebounds, his second VPL championship win, and announced as both the conference's Player of the Year/All-Tournament MVP. Simply put, he's had quite the junior campaign this year. The team will need his reliable play to continue or even take a step further as they go about their quest to again make another deep run into the VISAA tournament. When Coleman has nights like yesterday, going hard after second-chance attempts and taking advantage of every possible mismatch, there's just no hope in stopping him. He looked everything like the nationally-ranked four-star prospect that people recognize him as. His best moments happened during the game's final moments, as he hit a timely step-back three-pointer and took control to earn and make all of those late free-throws to put the game away. Excellent job of stepping up in the big moment.
Malachi Poindexter '20 ' STAB: Poindexter checked onto the floor and gave the Saints a much needed spark with his versatile scoring. I really like his confidence and skill as a three-level threat; he did well in attacking off of screens to get into the lane or pull-up for jumpers. Whenever off of the ball, Poindexter's teammates recognized him as one of the best spot-up shooting threats, along with Taylor. He had sort of a challenging start to this season, coming back from injury, but looks comfortable as a guy who will make defenders pay if they take him lightly. If he can develop to show some more playmaking for others, he could transition into a fairly strong combo guard. The 6'1' junior finished with 12 points on the night.
Burke Smith '20 ' TES: The 6'11' forward created a presence before the ball had even tipped off due to his height alone; I'm sure this is nothing new to him' you don't see guys at his height every day at that age. Smith stood out in the first half by rebounding and showing off some nice court vision. He had his opponents boxed out completely to grab misses strongly with two hands. Facilitating-wise, he picked up a couple of assists by finding his teammates under the rim and around the perimeter. When Smith acts as the passer, he and Coleman can connect very well on a high-low action. Scoring-wise, he powered his way on the block for quick finishes and made himself available in posting up. Smith sometimes saw double and triple-teams, but TES looked at some of their best in the third quarter when the guards quickly threw it to him for paint points. He's one of the main difference makers for his squad; ended with 10 points and several rebounds/assists.
Nick Reese '20 ' STAB: Most Heart Shown During the Night = Reese. He only stands as a 5'11' wing, yet fearlessly took on any opponent he came across, regardless of the size. After more of a slow start, the junior put on an absolute show for the Saints during the third quarter, scoring 10 straight points in all types of ways. My favorite moment of his happened when he pulled off a slick spin move in transition to score and cut TES' lead to only two. His energy caused a spark within his teammates and I definitely credit him for playing as a huge reason for STAB's comeback effort. He contributes in unique ways and plays much bigger than his size portrays. A main key piece for the team who ended up having the best scoring night, with a team-high 17 points. I'm curious to see what type of role he'll take over next year as a senior' his versatility makes him able to play a number of positions.
Excellent effort by both teams and a big congrats to the Titans for the win. Three-straight years of winning conference titles isn't something that everyone can say they've done!