CHAMPS!

Catholic Central girls down Holy Names to win Class A title; CCS boys, NDBG girls fall in finals

Tanavia Turpin (c.) holds the winner's plaque when coach Audra DiBacco jumps in as Catholic Central celebrates their 62-48 win over Holy Names in the Section II Class A final basketball game on March 2 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Turpin scored her 1,000th career point during the game. (Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist) (Courtesy photo of CINDY SCHULTZ)

The drought is over the Catholic Central School girls’ basketball team. The Crusaders defeated Academy of the Holy Names, 62-48, to win the Section II Class A crown at Hudson Valley Community College on March 2, for their first championship since 2002, while also erasing the sting of losing in last year’s finals to Averill Park. 

(Catholic Central’s El’Dior Dobere shoots for the hoop as Holy Names’ Maggie Bolmer. Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)

Kristen Foglia scored a team-high 23 points for the Crusaders (21-1) and junior Tanavia Turpin added 19 points, including eclipsing the 1,000 point mark for her career. Gabriella DiBacco added 11 points and Akarri Gaddy pulled down 16 rebounds. For Holy Names (15-8), Sophia Bologna tallied a game-high 26 points and Jeniyah Wood added eight points.

(Holy Names’ Sophia Bologna, who scored a game-high 26 points drives the ball up court against Catholic Central. Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)

HEARTBREAKER 

Catholic Central boys fall in Class A final

The Catholic Central School boys' basketball team, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, lost to Glens Falls, 58-52, in the Section II Class A Championship game at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls on March 2. Catholic Central, which won the school's first championship in 42 years last year by defeating Glens Falls, 73-59, in the Class B final, saw its season come to an unexpected end against the Black Bears, who used a big scoring run to end the third quarter and take the lead for good. 

(Catholic High coach Guy DiBacco embraces a disappointed Xavjon Arroyo after their loss to Glens Falls in the Class A final Saturday afternoon in Glens Falls. Tom Killips photo)

CCS sophomore Darien Moore, who has committed to play college basketball at Seton Hall, led the Crusaders (21-2) with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds, and Qwameik Smith and Sei’Mir Roberson each added 11.

(Catholic Central's Darien Moore drives on Glens Falls Kellen Driscoll during their Class A final at Glens Falls

COMING UP SHORT

NDBG girls lose in Class D final

The Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons girls’ basketball team came up one game short in their attempt to win back-to-back section titles, falling to top-seeded Northville, 53-33, in the Section II Class D title game at Hudson Valley Community College on March 4. Senior Mia’Rose Wylie led third-seeded NDBG (14-8) with 13 points. 

(Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons’ Mia Rose Wylie drives to the hoop against Northville. Cindy Schultz photo for The Evangelist)