D8 Junior Final Preview(1) St. Benedict Saints (12-1) vs. (2) St. Mary's Eagles (11-2)
Today, 6:00pm, University of Waterloo ($2 admission - valid for senior portion of doubleheader as well)
Season Stats/Review
One team is looking to continue their recent D8 dominance with a third straight league title.
The other hasn't won one since 2000.
Regardless of the outcome, it'll be a pretty easy storyline for writers at the conclusion of today's D8 junior final between the top-seeded St. Benedict Saints and the second-seeded St. Mary's Eagles.
Both teams arrive battle-tested, having completed one of the toughest seasons in D8 junior history.
The Saints were victorious in both league meetings, although by slim margins (6 and 5 points). In the second game at St. Mary's, the Eagles sat a couple of key players for (I've been told) disciplinary reasons.
On paper, it certainly appears to be either team's game heading into the contest tonight at UW.
History Lesson
Although (as mentioned above), the Saints haven't won a D8 junior crown since 2001, a win tonight would actually move them into a tie for top spot on the all-time championship list. They won seven straight titles between 1994-2000, and trail Resurrection (8 titles all-time) on the D8 list.
After those two schools, St. Mary's (4), Rockway (2), and St. David (1) round out the previous historical winners.
Of note, the #1-ranked team entering the playoffs has won the last 5 D8 titles. St. Mary's was the last #2 seed to win the championship game (2007).
Key Players
We'll start with the Eagles, who have been led all year offensively by Adham Eleeda (6'1" SG) and Henoak Abara; this duo combined for 40 points in St. Mary's semifinal win over St. David.
5'10" G Gordon Lam is a solid defender who can attack the hoop well, while fellow 5'10" G David Nguyen is a good shooter who has made some key shots in big games this season.
6'5" C Barnaba Neil is a major force on the defensive end for St. Mary's, with great shot-blocking and rebounding abilities. He's a decent offensive threat on put-backs and the odd post-up.
For St. Benedict, Zubair Seyed (5'5" PG / Grade 9) is a lightning-quick guard that "makes the Saints go". He can hit the three or drive the lane, and has a mid-range game that is rare to see at the junior level. He put home 26 points in the first meeting between these schools.
Alex Douglas (6'2" F / Grade 9) is coming off a 28-point effort against Resurrection in the D8 semifinals. One can't be deceived by his size, as he's really more of a SG/SF in a "forward body" at the junior level.
Khiem Tran (5'10" F / Grade 10) is an effective three-point shooter who can also finish well in traffic and is rock-solid from the free-throw line. The same can mostly be said for 6th man Justin Malnerich (5'9" G / Grade 9), though he prefers the deep three-ball or the mid-range pull-up. Vicken Geokjian (6'3" F / Grade 10) is their key rebounder and shot blocker on the defensive end, and has pretty decent range for a "5 man".
Prediction
As I stated, it could certainly go either way. I'll keep with the #1-ranked Saints to get the win --- in a close, hard-fought contest.
Pick: St. Benedict 49, St. Mary's 45
