CIAC BOYS BASKETBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP CAPSULES

DIVISION I

NO. 1 EAST CATHOLIC VS.

NO. 2 NORTHWEST CATHOLIC WHEN: Saturday, 8:15 p.m.

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena,

Uncasville

SEEDS/RECORDS: No. 1 East Catholic (26-1) vs. No. 2 Northwest Catholic (21-3)

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 East Catholic’s 15th appearance in a state final, going 7-7 . ... The Eagles have won the last two Division I state championships held in 2019 and

2022 . ... Northwest Catholic is 6-6, last winning a title in 2003 at the buzzer in Class L against Wilbur Cross. The Lions have lost their last three appearances, including last year to Bristol Central in Division II.

TOP PLAYERS: East Catholic: James Jones, 6-6, Sr., G; Samson Reilly, 6-1, Jr., G: Luke Reilly Jr., 6-2, Sr., G; Northwest Catholic: Badare Diakite, 6-9, So., F; Gianni Mirabello, Jr., G; London Jemison, 6-8, Jr.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: This is the first time these rivals have met in a state championship final.

OUTLOOK: These two storied programs were rivals in the Northwest Conference. When the league disbanded in 2009, those two teams joined the CCC. East Catholic has been the No. 1 team in the GameTimeCT Top 10 poll all season. Its only loss came against St. Augustine (Calif.) in the HoopHall Classic in January. In the regular season meeting at NWC on Feb. 14, East Catholic put on a defensive clinic in the second half against Northwest Catholic, holding the Lions scoreless for a 6-minute stretch . ... East Catholic is coming off a 29-point win over Ridgefield in the semifinals. After losing in the CCC tournament opening round to Conard on a buzzer-beating shot, Northwest Catholic has rebounded with three straight victories in this tournament. The Lions jumped out to a 9-0 lead against Notre Dame-West Haven in the semifinals. The Lions will try to use its height inside with the 6-foot-9 pair of Cadare Diakite and Jack Nieradko. Expect this to be a game deep into the fourth quarter, maybe even overtime needed to decide it.

MORELLI’S PICK: East Catholic.

DIVISION II NO. 1 ST. BERNARD VS. NO. 7 STAPLES

WHEN: Sunday, 6:15 p.m.

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena,

Uncasville

SEEDS/RECORDS: No. 1 St. Bernard (24-3) vs. No. 7 Staples (21-6)

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: St. Bernard is 2-1 in its previous appearances, last appearing in 1985, last winning in 1982, its second straight title at the time; Staples only appearance came all the way back in 1937. The Wreckers defeated Farmington 26-23.

TOP PLAYERS: St. Bernard: Cedrick Similien, 6-0, Sr., G; Tyson Wheeler, 5-8, Sr., G; Ryan Outlow, 6-3, Sr., F; Staples: Chris Zajac, Staples, 6-8, Sr., C; Cody Sale, Staples, 5-10, Sr., G; Gavin Rothenberg, 5-9, Sr., G

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Staples advanced to its first FCIAC tournament final, losing to Danbury.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Staples is the lowest seed remaining in any of the five boys state championship games. Against FCIAC rival Fairfield Warde in the semifinals, the Wreckers came from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime and won on Adam Udell’s steal and layup. The win avenged a loss to the Mustangs in February . ... Staples also defeated Ridgefield twice, including an FCIAC semifinal victort that prevented the Tigers from winning a fifth-straight league title . ... Chris Zajac will need to produce another double-double against a formidable group from St. Bernard, which has won 10 straight coming into Sunday’s final. Simillien, Wheeler, Outlow and Anyre Grey provide a balanced scoring lineup. The Saints made 13 three-pointers against Xavier in the semifinals . ... Amare Marshall likely draws the defensive assignment on Zajac, with some double teams coming from the guards. St. Bernard lost by 30 points at Ridgefield in December, but this is a vastly different Saints’ team now.

MORELLI’S PICK: St. Bernard

DIVISION III NO. 1 BLOOMFIELD VS. NO. 2 WCA

WHEN: Sunday, 3 p.m.

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena,

Uncasville

SEEDS/RECORDS: No. 1 Bloomfield (23-3) vs. No. 2 Waterbury Career Academy (23-3)

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: Bloomfield is trying to go back to back after winning in Division IV last season. The Warhawks are making their 14th finals’ appearance, going 6-7 previously. This is the first appearance for WCA.

TOP PLAYERS: Bloomfield: Jaysean Williams, 5-10, So., G; Howard Simpson, 6-5, Sr., F; Davion Kerr, 6-1, Jr., G; WCA: Sonny Pierce, 6-0, Sr., G; Jason Canady,

5-11, Sr., G; Andrew Williams, 5-9, Jr., G.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: This is WCA’s eighth season as a varsity program.

OUTLOOK: WCA has taken great strides this season. The program won the NVL regular-season title for the first time, followed by its first NVL tournament championship and, now, make their first appearance at Mohegan Sun Arena . ... The Spartans like to play uptempo (they scored 28 points in the first quarter of its semifinal game against Platt). Uptempo is exactly the way Bloomfield likes to play, as well. The Warhawks led New London 27-6 after the first quarter . ... Behind Jaysean Williams and the Kerr brothers, Davion and Davien, the Warhawks launch 3-pointers at will and get to the basket with ease. .. This should be a fun game to watch. Bloomfield is not only trying to win a second straight title, the players are playing for its former coach, Kevin Moses, who led the program to the Division IV state championship. Moses died of cancer last fall.

MORELLI’S PICK: Bloomfield

DIVISION IV NO. 1 CROMWELL VS. NO. 3 ELLINGTON

WHEN: Sunday, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville

SEEDS/RECORDS: No. 1 Cromwell (24-2) vs. No. 3 Ellington (22-4)

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:

Cromwell is one of the more decorated programs when it comes to championship games: the Panthers have won nine state championships . ... This is Cromwell’s 17th finals’ appearance, its last a victory in 2018. Ellington is 2-2, its last appearance coming in 2002, its last victory coming in 1972.

TOP PLAYERS: Cromwell: Victor Payne, 6-3, Jr., G/F; Tyler Daniele, 6-4, Sr., F; Jake Salafia, 6-3, Sr., G; Ellington: Elijah Miller, 6-0, Sr., G; Cody Murphy, 5-9, Sr., G; Darren Zahner, 5-8, Jr., G.

YOU SHOULD KNOW:

All but one of Cromwell’s state finals’ appearances (Division V in 2018) have come in the Class S division.

OUTLOOK: Cromwell hadn’t forgotten its semifinal-round loss to Granby last season. The Panthers had a balanced scoring effort, led by Tyler Daniele, to defeat a senior-laden group in Griswold in the semifinals on Wednesday . ... Victor Payne has been on an offensive tear of late, scoring 30 or more points in five of his last seven games. Ellington put together a nice defensive performance against Seymour, which had scored more than 60 points in its first three tournament games. .. Elijah Miller is a force on both ends of the floor. He may draw the defensive assignment on Payne. In all likelihood, this final will be played in the 50s.

MORELLI’S PICK: Cromwell

DIVISION V NO. 1 WINDSOR LOCKS VS. NO. 6 SHEPAUG VALLEY

WHEN: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville

SEEDS/RECORDS: No. 1 Windsor Locks (21-4) vs. No. 6 Shepaug Valley (17-7)

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:

Windsor Locks is 1-4 in the finals, but its last appearance in 2001 was the victory, 64-53 over East Granby in Class S. Shepaug Valley’s only appearance in a championship game came in 1983, a 61-46 loss to Terryville.

TOP PLAYERS: Windsor Locks: Malike Alassani, 6-3, Sr., G/F; Evan Courtney, 5-9, Sr., G; Sincere Monroe, 5-8, So., G;

Shepaug Valley: Phil Ostrosky, 6-1, Sr., F; Reed Woerner, 6-0, So., G; James Kersten, 6-2, Fr., F.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Shepaug Valley was upset by Litchfield in the opening round of the Berkshire League tournament.

OUTLOOK: Hand it to Windsor Locks: After losing at the buzzer in last year’s semifinals to eventual champion

Windham, the Raiders returned to the same site — East Hartford High — and won this time, defeating Portland . ... The Raiders were one of two remaining undefeated teams in late January (Danbury was the other). They’re one of two NCCC teams (next to Ellington in Division IV) playing for state titles . ... Shepaug, out of the Berkshire League, needed overtime Wednesday night to eliminate No. 10 seed Lyman Memorial in the semifinals . ... The Spartans were able to rebound from a quarterfinal-round loss in the BL tournament to make this run.

MORELLI’S PICK: Windsor Locks