10 Best: St. Chris vs. Bishop Sullivan
It was a thriller in Richmond between these two VISAA Division One programs that went all the way down to the wire. This was a great opportunity for us to get a look at these two programs that look completely different than past years, and it did not disappoint with one of the wildest finishes I’ve seen in my three years with Vantage.
Bishop Sullivan jumped out early behind the play of 2019 forward Kenan Sarvan. Sarvan, who’s a foreign exchange student hailing from Amsterdam, showed a variety of skills both on the perimeter and in the post, as he finished the first half with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists as Bishop Sullivan led 39-26 going into the break after Sarvan connected on his third three-pointer to beat the buzzer.
Coming out of the break, St. Chris started to claw back as they opened on a 9-2 run sparked by the play of 2019 Gibson Jimmerson, who scored seven of the nine in the first two minutes. It was back-and-forth throughout the third and fourth quarter, and Bishop Sullivan led by eight with just over a minute left as 2018 Justin Jasper went to the line for St. Chris. What happened after that was pure pandemonium.
Jasper sank 2. St. Chris forced a turnover and was fouled. They missed the front end of a one-and-one, but they rebounded and kicked out for a three-pointer from Jimmerson to cut the deficit to just three with around 40 seconds left. Bishop Sullivan was fouled, and missed the front end of a one-and-one, but they got the rebound and took an ill advised shot that St. Chris rebounded. They pushed in transition and found 2019 Arnold Henderson on a skip pass and he nailed a 30 footer with just over 10 seconds left. Bishop Sullivan missed a shot, and 2018 Donovan Murphy drove the length of the floor and was fouled with 1.6 seconds left. He made both and that was the ball game. The Saints came back from an 8 point deficit with just over a minute left to win the game.
Craziness. Here’s 10 superlatives from an instant classic.
MVP: Gibson Jimerson | St. Chris 2019
Jimerson’s play was the biggest reason for the Saints getting back into the game, as he was on fire from all over the court in the second half. The 6’5″ wing scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, including four of his five makes from deep, including a huge one with around 40 seconds left to cut the deficit to three. He not only did it by scoring, he was the Saints top rebounder as well, finishing just short of a double-double with 9. He’s building on a great summer, and after transferring from Benedictine he’s in line to be the next great scorer for St. Chris.
Play of the Game
There were some big shots down the stretch, and while Murphy’s take and free throws clinched the game, the nod has to go to 2019 Arnold Henderson who canned the three-ball to tie things up. Henderson finished with 9 points, going 3-for-6 from deep, but it was this one that counted the most. He stepped into a DEEP triple with confidence, ignoring the bigger defender closing out, and drilled it like it was practice. What a big shot for the point guard in his first opening night start of his career.
Best Offensive Performer: Kenan Sarvan | Bishop Sullivan 2019
While Jimmerson had the better second half, Sarvan’s efficiency wins out as the best offensive performer. The 6’9″ forward showed tremendous skill set on the perimeter, finishing with 28 points, four rebounds and three assists. He was lights out from deep, shooting 4-for-7 from deep and he shot 12-for-16 from the field. He was far from selfish too, as he got his shots from within the offense and took what the defense gave him. He showed the ability to score inside and out, and he’ll be a name that both college coaches and fans should remember moving forward.
Best Defensive Performer: Arnold Henderson | St. Chris 2019
Not only did Henderson come up with the big shot, he did the dirty work defensively. The 5’8″ guard got under ball handlers, making a tough Bishop Sullivan backcourt uncomfortable, and he showed good instincts jumping passing lanes. He finished with three steals on the game, and guarded the basketball very well.
Best Utility Guy: Justin Jasper | St. Chris 2018
Whether it was offensively, defensively, leading the team or calming them down, the senior captain was there. One of the last guys left from the Sherod and Petrie days, the U of R football commit came up with timely plays and stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Saints. It wasn’t the best game of his career, but they definitely couldn’t have done it without him.
Best Intangibles: Donovan Murphy | St. Chris 2018
Murphy, who’s a senior co-captain, came up with a number of big plays down the stretch including the game winning free throws. Basketball isn’t his first sport, as he’s a very good baseball player, but he was big time for them as he scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half and helped on the glass with five rebounds as well. He was a great energy guy and a leader for his team down the stretch.
Best Under the Radar Performer: AJ Epps | Bishop Sullivan 2019
This kid is a division one ball player who needs more love from coaches than he’s getting right now. Epps handled pressure all night long for Sullivan as their only true ball handler, and he’s a dual threat point guard who can score it and distribute the basketball. The lefty has a crafty middle game, can shoot it from deep off the catch and off the bounce and he plays with a ton of heart. He finished the game with 14 points and four assists, and he’s likely going to average around that the next two season at Sullivan.
Best Underclassman: Gabe Jimerson | St. Chris 2021
There weren’t many underclassmen that played for either team, but Jimerson was the most effective as he provided size, energy and rebounded off the bench. He finished with six points, three rebounds and an assist, and that assist was the one to his older brother Gibson for the late three to keep them in the game. He isn’t quite as polished as Gibson, but he has more size and is more of an inside post threat with good touch, and he should come around soon to be one heckuva player.
Best Rebounder | Uhro Saardinen | Bishop Sullivan 2018
Saardinen is listed as a guard by his coaches but he didn’t play like one on the glass as he tallied a game high 10 rebounds. He showed good physicality and toughness when battling in the paint, and he pursued every missed shot with intensity. He mixed it up on the glass on both ends of the floor, and provided some extra opportunities for his team.
Best Part of Atmosphere: Court Rush After the Game
Not many times you see a respectable court rush, but leave it to the kids at Saint Chris to break the mold. After the win, they waited for the teams to shake hands, then rushed the court and met their team at half court to celebrate. One of the best student sections in Richmond was there in full force before, during and after the game.