3/9/2020

The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team had a stellar season with an overall record of 25–2 that culminated in them taking the NEPSAC Class B Title in the Championship Final against Brooks School on March 8. After a double overtime win in the semi final against St. George’s School the previous day, the second-seeded Saints went up against first-seeded Brooks in the final game and came away with a 68–57 win at Worcester State University, MA.

This is the second NEPSAC Championship title win for the boys’ team in the last 5 years. They won the Championship in 2015 and lost in the final game last year, but have made it to the semi finals or finals every year since their first title win. The team was led by Coach Brian Baudinet, Assistant Coach Edward Ogundeko, and team captain Tray Alexander ’20. “The guys were ready to play in the championship. I think last year our team had more nerves in the championship game. But this year after surviving a double overtime game in the semifinals, it seemed like we could exhale and just go play with a clear mind,” Coach Baudinet shared.

The team will be losing several of their key players next year, including Mike Graham ’20 who will play at Elon University, NC and Charlie Campbell ’20 who earned MVP of the championship game and will play at Trinity College, CT. But the team’s lead scorer and rebounder, Sean Durugordon ’21 (averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game), has another year to go and a great team of underform players to work with. Coach Baudinet credits a lot of the team’s success to their camaraderie, “This was a great group of guys. We had a nice blend of returning players and newcomers. It took some time for chemistry to develop, but we came to really enjoy each other.” He continued, “We battled injury and illness all year and actually only played 11 games with our full team; it was great to see different guys step up at different times when we needed it.”

Coach Baudinet has a wealth of experience on the court. Prior to Canterbury, he coached at Trinity College, CT, American International College, MA, and Duquesne University, PA. He also worked as a D League Assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder Association serving as an Assistant Coach with the Tulsa 66ers. “Winning the championship is a good feeling,” he said. “It’s validation of the work we put in all year. I think for the returners it was also vindication from getting there last year and falling short. It wasn’t an easy road, but that’s what makes it worth it. Now, we have to work on building next year’s team!”

Congratulations to the entire team on a fantastic season and a well-deserved championship win!


Author: Kelly Slonaker E-Mail: kslonaker@cbury.org