The absence of starting guard Jermaine Lyle (ankle) provided a great opportunity for Avery Sutton.Sutton, a fifth-year guard, took advantage of said opportunity, scoring a game-high 19 points in the CWOSSA "AAAA" championship final, a 65-52 St. Mary's victory over Kitchener Cameron Heights.
The win was St. Mary's second consecutive "official" CWOSSA championship (they were also victorious in last year's unofficial tournament).
It didn't necessarily come easy for the Eagles, though.
Earlier in the day on Monday, St. Mary's punched their OFSAA ticket with a hard-fought 64-56 win over Kitchener Grand River, a game that was within 3 points with :30 to play.
Sutton was a big factor in that one too, as he contributed 14 points alongside 22 from Tesloth Simon. Chuder Teny (16) and David Bajic (14) led the Rens.
As for the championship final, it was certainly a "game of runs".
St. Mary's struck first, with an 8-0 first quarter run to take a 16-11 lead, before Sasha Simic stuck a three at the end of the frame for a 16-14 Eagle lead after one.
The teams would trade baskets in the second quarter, which would end 28-26 in favour of the Eagles.
A 15-9 Cameron Heights spurt in the third quarter gave them a four-point lead, which was quickly erased by the Eagles with an 8-0 run of their own, giving them a 4-point edge heading into the final quarter.
After leading by 6 midway through the fourth, the Eagles gradually extended their lead with solid execution down the stretch to a 65-52 final. Needless to say, it was certainly closer than the final score would indicate.
Tyrick Thompson and Tesloth Simon both contributed 15 points alongside Sutton's 19, while Sasha Simic (18), Jackie Do (11) and Ivan Cucak (10) were all in double-figures for Cameron.
Both teams are through to next week's "AAAA" OFSAA championships in Mississauga. St. Mary's will be making their third straight OFSAA appearance, while the Gaels are headed to the provincial stage for the second time in the last four years.
