Saints Defeat Maroon in Sleepy Thompson Tournament
This year’s Sleepy Thompson Tournament Championship turned out to be a rematch from last year, one in which EHS defeated the host school, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes, to capture the Maroon’s fifth title since 2009. The Saints last won this tournament in 2006, when they defeated Episcopal, so their entire community was excited for this matchup.
The small gymnasium was packed to the gills on Saturday night, and the St. Stephen’s students and faculty did a terrific job of providing an electric home-court advantage. Maroon supporters also came out in strong numbers, and they did an excellent job cheering on their team. The Saints used both full-court and half-court frenetic pressure to cause issues for the Maroon throughout the game. Despite only being down 15-11 after one quarter, and 17-13 early in the second, St. Stephen’s was able to wear down the Maroon guards, and their usual fast-paced play on offense was not effective in this contest. After a few turnovers just before the half, the Saints capitalized and took a commanding lead at the half.
The third quarter was played evenly by both teams, as the score in the period was 20-20. Unfortunately, the Maroon still trailed by 18 points, so needed one big push in the final eight minutes to make it a more competitive game. The final quarter showed both mental and physical fatigue by the Maroon, and the Saints took advantage of their 10-man rotation to completely wear down the visiting team. St. Stephen’s dominated the final quarter, earning the win, and the championship trophy, by a final score of 89-57. Congratulations to St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School!
