Stags win third consecutive title and sixth in seven years
When Gonzaga’s 6-foot-1 guard Nate Britt charged into the lane against DeMatha’s 6-foot-8 Mikael Hopkins and scored on a slick spin move, Purple Eagles’ fans boasted, “He’s a sophomore. He’s a sophomore.”
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So DeMatha fans answered, “He’s 18. He’s 18.”
With that, it was game-on between bitter rivals in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game at raucous Bender Arena.
In the stands and on the floor, it was a night of one-upmanship as DeMatha used its superior size to rule the lane and hold off a late Gonzaga rally for a 51-48 victory before a standing-room-only crowd of 4,000.
With 6-foot-7 Jerami Grant (17 points), 6-foot-8 sophomore BeeJay Anya (12 points, 6 blocks), and Hopkins (8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks) creating an imposing barrier inside, DeMatha (25-7) stifled Gonzaga with a formidable zone, rolling to a 16-point lead in the third quarter and then withstanding the pressure defense of the Purple Eagles.
It was the third straight WCAC title and sixth in the last seven years for DeMatha coach Mike Jones. The Stags advance to the City Title game Monday at Verizon Center against D.C. public school champion Theodore Roosevelt (25-5).
In losing in the WCAC championship game for the third straight year, Gonzaga (24-7) was hurt by the inability of 6-foot-6, 245-pound sophomore Kris Jenkins to contribute. Jenkins sprained his right ankle late in the Purple Eagles’ semifinal victory over McNamara on Saturday. He tried to play Monday night, but moved slowly in his brief appearance.
Without him, Gonzaga’s 6-foot-9 senior Ben Dickinson (11 points) had to battle alone against the frontcourt length and athleticism of the Stags.
The win was satisfying for the Stags who entered this season with many doubters after the transfer of Quinn Cook to Oak Hill.
“Everybody on the team wanted to prove that everyone that didn’t believe in us were wrong,” said Hopkins, a key player throughout the three-year reign. “We have a real young team, so I could see where people would doubt us. But they didn’t factor in the maturity we still have on the team.”
Hopkins steadied the Stags in the nervous opening minutes, scoring their first two buckets for a 4-0 lead. After that, DeMatha never trailed.
The lead was tenuous in the second half, however. After Grant, son of former Washington Wizard Harvey Grant, swooped the baseline for a spectacular dunk to give DeMatha a 37-21 lead, Gonzaga applied pressure, forced numerous turnovers, and scored on five straight possessions, cutting the deficit to 39-31.
Led by guards Britt (16 points), Charles Glover (3 points), and Cahli Thomas (4 points), Gonzaga rattled the DeMatha backcourt, whittling the lead to 45-43 with 3:48 to go. Britt kept driving relentlessly to the lane, drawing fouls and converting, but DeMatha remained in control.
With 9 seconds left and trailing 51-48, Gonzaga earned one last chance, forcing a turnover on a DeMatha inbound attempt. Gonzaga sophomore D.J. Fenner (9 points) had two chances to tie, but missed both 3-point shots, one pressured by Grant, the other an open try at the buzzer.
Last year Cook scored 30 points and Hopkins blocked 10 shots as DeMatha dominated Gonzaga in the title game, 71-52. This time, Hopkins had less help outside, but more inside.
“A lot of people felt like Quinn carried us on his back last year, which he did,” said Hopkins. “We miss him, but we had to prove to everybody we could win without him.”.
