The St. Luke’s Boys Varsity Basketball team edged a thrilling contest against Greens Farms Academy on Thursday, Feb. 27, to win the FAA Tournament Championship.
The Storm clinched its first tournament title since 2016-17, with a 56-52 victory over the Dragons in a typically intense affair against its local rivals.
The atmosphere inside Carey Gymnasium was electric, and the home team used it to race out to a 17-8 lead before being pegged back by GFA. A couple of back-to-back threes gave the Dragons a 17-19 advantage with 5:20 to play in the first half.
St. Luke’s Head Coach Tony Newsom called a timeout, and the Storm regrouped to re-take the lead for good before halftime. A 10-4 run at the end of the first period gave the Storm a 27-23 advantage at the interval.
The second half almost mirrored the first, as St. Luke’s pulled away to a 10-point lead only for the Dragons to claw their way back into the contest and make it a two-point game with 1:22 to play. However, the Storm would not be denied as two clutch free-throws from Senior Captains Gavin Greene and Chuck Clemons made the game safe.
The victory sealed the FAA regular season and tournament double for St. Luke’s. Newsom was proud of his group of players. “I am so proud of this team. The players have done everything the coaching staff has asked of them and nothing could be more satisfying than seeing them be rewarded for all their hard work with a championship. I feel extremely fortunate to say I am the coach of these fine young men.”
St. Luke’s will now turn its attention to the New England Preparatory Athletic Council Tournament (NEPSAC), which starts next week. The Storm should find out their quarterfinal opponent on Sunday evening, with the matchup scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 4 (time and location TBD).
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Leading with Humanity curriculum builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.