St. Mike’s Coasts Past ACMT For Blessed Mother Teresa Tournament Championship
SCARBOROUGH, ON–Right from the tip of the Blessed Mother Teresa Invitational championship game, St. Michael’s College (Toronto) took control over Académie catholique Mère-Teresa (ACMT, Hamilton) and were merciless in a blowout victory 75-38. Head coach of the St. Mike’s Blue Raiders, Jeff Zownir awarded his senior guard Malcolm Duvivier with minutes as Duvivier has been making a strong come back after a minor knee surgery. He hasn’t lost a step in terms of speed or any inches in his bounce; this 2014 guard was awarded the tournament MVP. On the other side, ACMT was missing their star guard Hamid Nessek who would have been a huge help in dealing with the pressure that was put on by the Blue Raider back court.
The Blue Raiders came out firing from all cylinders pouring in 15 makes from beyond the arc, giving them more than half of their total points. Poor communication and late shifts in ACMT’s zone had shooters open with time to spare.
Sage Usher was one of those shooters and the wrong guy to leave open. His shooting mechanics and overall feel for shooting is his main weapon, however has been adding speed to his game and muscle to his frame. Usher finished with a team high 15 points.
Nelson Kaputo and Godwin Boahen’s speed in transition led to a lot of 2 on 1 situations in their favour. Even with a one man advantage in transition, Duvivier trailed as a third and had a two handed put back dunk.
The depth and discipline of this Toronto team allows the coaching staff to give their starters lengthy breaks. For most of the game, coach Zownir was making five man substituions, which also showed trust in the bench’s production and execution. St. Mike’s has gained a reputation for being a team that has excellent execution.
ACMT came out flat and were unable to get the ball across half successfully, and when they did would settle for tough shots that were rebounded by St. Mike’s and dished for outlet finishes.
Jean-Victor Mukama brought a little life to his team by making some big blocks and connecting from the perimeter but it wouldn’t be nearly enough to get his team within striking range. Mukama finished with a game high 17 points.
St. Mike’s ruled over teams averaging 35 over the competition in four games. Another instrumental piece to their offense is the new born leader in Rashayne Case, whose taken a lot of the load on his shoulders while Duvivier was out. He continues to impress and is shaping up to be a high CIS prospect.
Tournament All-Stars:
Michael Duvivier – MVP
Sammy Ayisi – Vanier
Michael Peterkin – Crescent
Jalen King – Mother Teresa
Rashayne Case – St. Michael’s
Jean-Victor Mukama – ACMT
Emmanuel Mukuna – ACMT
