Champlain Valley vs Rice Memorial: D1 Finals Rematch

Cody Quattrocci

January 6, 2024 @ 01:56 PM

It was the first game between these two since their Championship matchup last year at UVM. Rice had revenge on their mind and got the job done, although this pesky, disciplined CVU team hung around all game long. Let's jump in!   [player_tooltip player_id='2325815' first='Abdi' last='Sharif'], 6'4 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   I have Abdi down as my Player of the Game. Sharif opened the game and closed the game with aggressive slashing, finding his offense at the rim and in the short-range. Moreover, his defensive impact was paramount. Abdi locked in against CVU's PG and most prolific scorer with fullcourt denial defense, taking CVU out of their rhythm from the jump. Throughout the contest, Abdi hawked ballhandlers, caused turnovers, and hit the glass on both sides. Abdi closed the game with a pair of FTs to grow the lead, finishing with 12-points. Sharif's two-way play was electric.   [player_tooltip player_id='2547032' first='Dallas' last='St. Peter'], 5'11 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   The x-factor! Dallas is that multi-faceted 6th man who brings a whole lot of energy and high-IQ play. His ballhandling and orchestration was solid, then came the run. St. Peter had a team-high 13, and he put together a 6-0 run to close the 3rd quarter, finding his offense at the hoop, including a buzzer-beating lay off of a backcourt steal by [player_tooltip player_id='2325800' first='Evan' last='Eaton']. In addition, Dallas' on-ball defense was active and bothersome, never giving CVU's ballhandlers rest. DSP is plug and play with his high motor, two-way skillset, and smarts.   [player_tooltip player_id='2312980' first='Drew' last='Bessette'], 6'8 W/F - Rice Memorial Class of 2024   Bessette's presence is quickly felt on the floor. His size and athleticism had slashers panicking in the lane, putting up out-of-control shots at the rim. And a couple monster blocks gave them good reason to shudder. On the offensive end, Drew was steady in his approach. His off-ball work opened the game up for teammates and he picked his spots, contributing eight points in a defensive battle. Bessette's two FT's with 15 seconds left iced the game, sending CVU home with the loss.   [player_tooltip player_id='2313121' first='Tucker' last='Tharpe'], 6'7 F - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   I don't have the rebounding stats, but it sure felt like Tucker posted 10+. Tharpe's defensive rebounding was clinical, as was his persistent coverage of sharpshooting UVM commit [player_tooltip player_id='2312980' first='Drew' last='Bessette']. And on the offensive end, Tucker brought his savvy interior post-game. He found scoring off of tough post-ups and baby hooks. Plus, he helped facilitate the offense at times, working from the block or from the perimeter. Tharpe's work never wavers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1850193' first='Kyle' last='Eaton'], 5'9 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024   Even amongst the relentless defensive attention he received, Kyle still led all scorers with an efficient 14 off of numerous 3-balls. Eaton navigated the denial defense with composure and constant off-ball movement. The PG showed his off-ball wit, using screens wisely to create space for catch-and-shoot treys. Moreover, he worked diligently to collect the rock and organize the offense too. Defensively Kyle was his scrappy self, even snatching a number of boards among the trees. Kyle was Rice's focus and yet he still got off. Crafty and unrelenting.   Jacob Armstrong, 5'11 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2025   Armstrong proved critical for CVU. His ability to come in and organize the offense brought some relief to a team not quite as deep with ballhandlers as they were last year. Moreover, Jacob created some offense himself, finding the range from 3 and a savvy short-range jumper where he attacked the switch in the pnr, looked the defense off, and finished smoothly. On the defensive end, Jacob used his positive wingspan and adept footwork to hound guys. So steady.

It was the first game between these two since their Championship matchup last year at UVM. Rice had revenge on their mind and got the job done, although this pesky, disciplined CVU team hung around all game long. Let's jump in!