SUNDAY’S CIAC BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CAPSULES
DIVISION I NO. 6 ST. BERNARD (23-3) VS. NO. 1 NOTRE DAME-WEST HAVEN (27-0)
When: Sunday, 8:15 p.m. Where: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville
Tickets: $10 per session (day/night). Available online (with service charge) or at arena box office.
On the air/web: NFHS NETWORK (Subscription required)
Championship game appearances: This is Notre Dame-West Haven’s fifth appearance. The Green Knights have yet to win one. St. Bernard is 3-1, winning Division II last season.
Key players: Notre DameWest Haven: Abdou Toure, 6-6, Soph., G; Travis Upchurch, 6-1, Jr.; Landon Krygier, 6-6, Soph., F; St. Bernard: Amyre Gray, 6-0, Jr., G; Amare Marshall, 6-6, Jr., F; Curtis Marshall, 6-5, Fr., F
You should know: Notre Dame is the state’s only undefeated team.
Outlook: Notre Dame-West Haven eliminated Notre
Dame-Fairfield in the semifinals in double overtime. But it was how the Green Knights did it that was impressive. They never led in the second half. Krygier hit the big 3-point shot to send the game into overtime. Toure scored 35 points. Notre Dame-Fairfield couldn’t check him in the second half. St. Bernard has a go-to player of its own in Gray, who scored 22 points in the Saints’ own comefrom-behind win against Ridgefield. It will be the dueling conference players of the year: Gray in the ECC and Toure in the SCC. But it usually comes down to defense in these types of highlevel games with so much on the line. St. Bernard should have the crowd advantage with its school located about one mile way. Joe Morelli’s pick: Notre Dame-West Haven
DIVISION IV
NO. 4 CHENEY TECH (24-3)
VS. NO. 3 INNOVATION (24-2) When: Sunday, 10 a.m. Where: Mohegan Sun Arena,
Uncasville
Tickets: $10 per session (day/night). Available online (with service charge) or at arena box office.
On the air/web: NFHS NETWORK (Subscription required)
Championship game appearances: Innovation’s only appearance was in 2019, defeating Old Lyme in Division V. This is Cheney Tech’s first appearance in a CIAC championship game. Key players: Innovation: Amari Cruz, 6-3, Sr., G; Ibrahim Sudik, 6-4, Jr., F; Jamal
Kulaib, 5-11, Sr., G; Cheney Tech: Damnic Gittens, 6-3, Sr., G; Dazhaun Copeland, 6-4, Jr., G
You should know: Innovation went undefeated in the CRAL this season. Outlook: This looks to be an uptempo game, even with the early start time. Cruz scored 21 points and Sidik grabbed 19 rebounds in its semifinal win over Weaver, the fourth time it beat the Beavers this season. Innovation has a lot of weapons, But Cheney Tech may have the best player on the floor.
Dam’nic Gittens had some big plays to help Cheney Tech get to overtime and beat Ellington in the quarterfinals. Cheney Tech didn’t lose a single CTC game, taking over as the league’s dominant program from Prince Tech, which, ironically, is the last Connecticut technical school to reach a CIAC championship game in 1998. Cheney Tech looks to take it one step further and make some history. Joe Morelli’s pick: Cheney Tech
DIVISION V
NO. 8 COVENTRY (16-9) VS. NO. 3 OLD LYME (19-6)
When: Sunday, 3 p.m. Where: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville
Tickets: $10 per session (day/night). Available online (with service charge) or at arena box office.
On the air/web: NFHS NETWORK (Subscription required)
Championship game appearances: Coventry is 1-1, last appearing — and winning — in 1989 in Class S. Old Lyme lost in its only appearance in 2019 to Innovation, also in Division V. Key players: Coventry: Aiden Jeamel, 6-0, Sr., G; Nate Cordner, 6-2, Sr., F; Old Lyme: Ed Fiske, 6-3, Fr., F; Leland Hine, 6-2, Sr., F You should know: Old Lyme has lost just twice since the beginning of February.
OUTLOOK: There are a pair of unique coaching stories in this division. Lois Hasty, the only woman coaching a CIAC boys basketball team, is in her third season at Coventry. Brady Sheffield is in his first season coaching his alma mater. He is just 21. Sheffield was a junior guard on the Wildcats’ last team to reach the final at Mohegan against Innovation in 2019. But this game will be decided by who’s on the floor. Coventry took out the top seed, Nonnewaug, en route to the Sun. Old Lyme had to get past Somers, then ended the final season for Litchfield. Both have a go-to scorer in Jeamel and Fiske, respectively. This has all the makings of a close, lowscoring game. First to 45 win the championship.
Joe Morelli’s pick: Coventry