Wilmington, DE – The St. Demetrios and St. George boys teams exchanged three-point buckets to start off the GOYA championship contest last night. For a brief moment, it appeared St. Demetrios would make a game of it, but that was it.
The two teams were never this close again, as St. George turned on all cylinders and quickly jumped out to a 25-9 first period lead. They did it by sticking to a formula they’ve followed all year—run, run, run. Their fast-paced, fast-break offense has been their hallmark throughout the season, often knocking out opponents early.
They applied this same strategy again here against St. Demetrios.
St. Demetrios fought back in the second period, holding St. George to just six points and closing the gap. They did this by forcing St. George to shoot from the perimeter and boxing out. However, it was to no avail, as St. George picked up right where it left off in the third period.
St. Demetrios simply couldn’t keep up. Valanti Apostolopoulos was unstoppable for St. George. He quietly racked up 34 of his team’s 63 total points and led all scorers.
St. George swept past St. Demetrios, who could not find a way to keep pace. The St. George boys took home their second championship and finished the season undefeated.
Final score: St. George 63, St. Demetrios 46.
The girls’ GYOA championship featured Holy Trinity of Wilmington and St. Thomas of Cherry Hill. St. Thomas got off to a strong start, quickly jumping to an eight-point lead in the first quarter while holding Holy Trinity scoreless. In fact, they kept Holy Trinity scoreless during the first half and extended their lead, which ended at 18-0 in the first half.
The second half mirrored the first, with a high-pressure defense and quick breaks leading to steals and turnovers that St. Thomas capitalized on. Klio Kokolis and Katerina Pratsinakis of St. Thomas topped all scorers with 15 points each. The undefeated girls of St. Thomas were favorites this year and did not disappoint, as they were crowned champions of the Girls GOYA with a decisive win. Final score: St. Thomas 26, Wilmington 6.