St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary, Brampton: Senior Boys Basketball ROPSSAA Championship, February 2012

St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Brampton, Ontario

Senior Boys Basketball ROPSSAA Championship
February 29, 2012

The Senior Boys Basketball Cardinals entered the ROPSSAA Championship game off of two very close, come-from-behind wins in the quarter and semi-finals, and entered the school's first Senior Boys Basketball Championship game in 27 years. They faced the quick and hard-pressing T. L. Kennedy Kougars in the finals at Sheridan College. The team jumped off to a 5-0 lead, before the Kougars started pressing and driving to the basket often, to earn leads at the end of the first quarter 12-9, and then 27-20 at the half. It didn't get better in the second half, as the Kougars continued pressing, making outside shots, and then Cardinal top scorer Kendrick Hudson went out with 4 fouls. T. L Kenndedy scored a couple of three pointers, and went up 36-22 with Kougar fans going wild. It was over. Except it wasn't.

The Cardinals started pressing, the Kougars started making turnovers, and guard Adam Szczerba started driving, and forward Michael Benes continued draining threes. The team fought back, and the Kougars didn't score for about 6 minutes of play. By early in the 4th quarter, the Cardinals had clawed back to within two points, 36-34. After that it was a see-saw, exciting, hard-fought battle, with both teams deadlocked 42-42 at the end of regulation. In the 4 minute overtime session, the Cardinals struck early and went up 49-44, but the overtime session ended 52-52 on a last second two-pointer by the Kougars number 32, their best player over the course of the game. In the second overtime period, the Cardinals scored quickly, made numerous foul shots, and never looked back, earning a 61-55 victory, and the Cardinals first senior boys basketball Championship in, did I mention, 27 years.

Both teams played exceptionally hard, and provided fans with one of the most entertaining basketball games in Aquinas history. And there have been a few. Here are a few pictures.