Trinity Catholic Wins Class M State Championship

By Lori Palma

It was high school sports at its best, an event to remember. 

At the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, three busses pulled up filled with excited students, parents, teachers and former Trinity Catholic players.

Several hundred fans, all dressed in matching gold “Crusader Basketball” shirts,  marched into the arena to see their 18th-seeded Crusaders take on No.  1 seed Career Magnet in the Class M title game.

The Crusader faithful went home happy, as Trinity Catholic completed its surprising drive to another state championship with a 57-51 victory.

The atmosphere was electric, with the exception of the demeanor of the Trinity players.  Much like their coach, Mike Walsh, the team entered the arena quietly and methodically, seemingly unaffected by the fanfare. 

Amid all the excitement, it was Career Magnet, appearing in a state final for the first time,  which seemed dazed.

Trinity Catholic junior Kevin Lemune hit two early 3-pointers, helping the Crusaders jump out to a 16-7 lead late in the first quarter.

Lemeune scored 17 points to pace Trinity Catholic, which was making its eighth appearance in the finals since 2000. It was Trinity Catholic's sixth championship in school history.

"I did what my job was," Lemeune said. "I made baskets."

Career pulled into a 40-40 tie on Brandyn Benson's two free throws with 1:04 left in the third quarter, but Lemeune's basket gave Trinity Catholic a 42-40 lead entering the fourth period and it never trailed thereafter. The confident Crusaders never lost their cool.

"It was something they had learned to do as this season unfolded, "Walsh said. "We learned and gained the confidence we needed to succeed today."

Jonathan Boykin added 14 points for the Crusaders, who finished the year at 18-9. A dramtic victory over St. Joseph in the first round of the FCIAC playoffs - Trinity Catholic rallied from a 20-point deficit late in the third period - may have fueled the Crusaders' title run.

Benson scored 22 points and Kevin Hoff added 14 for Career (23-3), the reigning Southern Connecticut Conference champions.

Career may have been affected by nerves, however, as it shot only 31.5 percent from the field (17-of-54), including 4-of-21 from 3-point range.

Trinity Catholic, meanwhile, shot 50 percent (18-of-36) while executing a patient offense.

Career (23-3) pulled within 44-42 on Kenneth Armstead's dunk with 5:56 to play, but the Crusaders responded with a 6-0 spurt to put away the contest.

Lemeune's 3-pointer made it 50-42 with 3:53 to play. The Crusaders then scored their final seven points from the free-throw line in the final two minutes. 

Thanks to the effort of the five starters and the much-needed support of two players off the bench,  Trinity Catholic secured its first state championship since the days Dave McClure and Craig Austrie in 2004.

“This was not one of the most talented teams I have coached, but it is the one that played with the most heart," Walsh said. "We (the Trinity Catholic community) have had a long year with the loss of several administrators and students, and this event pulled us all together and showed what a great community Trinity Catholic has."

“I was afraid we might be out rebounded and loose to them, but my guys really held that together,”  Walsh added.

Pascal Chidiebere Chukwu, Trinity's seven-foot-1  freshman center, helped the Crusaders post a 34-29 rebounding edge. He also blocked four shots and altered several others.

"Pascal threw us off," Hoff said. " We had to focus on him and consequently let the other Trinity players get rebounds we had gotten earlier in the game.”

Walsh also pointed to the steady play of Boykin, a senior.

“Jonathan has been the glue to this team all year," Walsh said.  "He never let his teammates give up.  I attribute much of our success to his leadership, both on and off the court."

With its sixth state championship in hand, Trinity carried on its tradition of winning, even when others had doubts earlier in the season. Confidence, leadership, and chemistry were the magical factors this time.