10 Best: O’Connell vs. Gonzaga
ARLINGTON, VA — Bishop O’Connell defeated Gonzaga by a final score of 57-53 in the regular season finale for both teams. Georgetown, UMass, JMU, Loyola (MD), and American were among the schools spotted in a packed house. Here we recap the 10 best from this pivotal matchup.
MVP | AYAN TEEL | O’CONNELL ’19
Ayan Teel was tough to stop in this game. The skilled junior handled pressure with relative ease, and showed that he can score from all three levels. Teel finished with a game-high 19 points, but also played really solid defense on the ball.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE | MYLES DREAD | GONZAGA ’18
At one point in the second half, it looked like Myles Dread wasn’t going to miss. The Penn State commit, who hit seven triples, caught fire at the right time with his team in desperate need of offense. Dread’s 21 points were a game-high.
BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE | XAVIER JOHNSON | O’CONNELL ’18
Nebraska commit Xavier Johnson came up with the most significant defensive play in this game. His steal and slam with under 30 seconds to go clinched the win for O’Connell.
BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR | CHARLIE WEBER | O’CONNELL ’19
All Charlie Weber does is come out, work hard, and produce. The 6’8 junior, who stretched the floor consistently, had some excellent finishes around the basket as well. Weber recorded 15 points and 5 rebounds, but also went 3 of 3 from the line.
BEST UNDERCLASSMEN | JAHMAL BANKS | O’CONNELL ’20
If he wasn’t an underclassmen, Jahmal Banks would definitely win the under-the-radar award. The lanky and skilled 6’4 wing doesn’t command the ball on offense, so his contributions come primarily on the defensive end. Two things we love about Banks is that he displays solid fundamentals, and works really hard on the glass. The sophomore hauled in a game-high 6 rebounds.
BEST INGANGIBLES | MATT BECHT | O’CONNELL ’18
Matt Becht is simply one of those players that you hate to take off the floor. Not only is he a deadly 3 point marksman, but he’s very smart and mentally strong. Becht communicates with the coaches and players effectively, and this is a huge reason why he’s been successful.
BEST OFF THE BENCH | TJ GADSDEN ’20; WES PETERSON ’21 | O’CONNELL
TJ Gadsden and Wes Peterson were key contributors for O’Connell in the win. The area which they impacted the game was on the boards. The two combined to pull down 6 of their team’s 23 rebounds.
BEST UNSIGNED SENIOR | ALLIN BLUNT | GONZAGA ’18
Allin Blunt turned in another solid performance for Gonzaga. The 6’6 forward recorded 8 points and a team-high 5 rebounds.
BEST PLAY | XAVIER JOHNSON
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BEST STORY TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD
By securing a win yesterday, O’Connell clinched the 3 seed for this weekend’s WCAC tournament, where they will face Carroll in the opening round. Gonzaga is the 4 seed, and will face St. John’s in the first round. One thing we’re anxious to see is who the winner of the WCAC Player of the Year award will be.