By David Fierro
An outstanding first half, a combined 42 points from Mekai Brown and Taj Walkers and a strong defensive effort throughout, resulted in a historic win for the Greenwich Country Day School boys basketball team on Saturday.
In only their third season as a varsity team, the Tigers achieved a ‘first,’ winning their first FAA Basketball Tournament title.
Walters scored 22 points and Brown had a 20-point effort to help lead second-seeded Greenwich Country Day School to a 63-53 victory over top-seeded Brunswick School in the championship game of the FAA Tournament before a huge, bipartisan, standing-room-only crowd at Brunswick’s Dann Gymnasium.
“It’s been some kind of year and I’m so proud of them,” Greenwich Country Day coach Patrick Scanlon said. “The leadership – our three seniors – were just phenomenal. We came out with the right energy and we stuck together. When we stick together and play team basketball we’re unbeatable.”
Brunswick earned the No. 1 seed in the FAA Tournament by registering a 52-44 triumph against GCDS on Feb. 14 in a game in which it played from in front for most of the matchup. Saturday was a different scenario however, as the Tigers held the lead and the momentum for the majority of the championship game.
Greenwich Country Day took leads of 15-9, 22-11 and 29-14, before entering halftime with a 32-16 advantage. Walters, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, scored 14 second-half points, while Brown, a 6-7 freshman forward, notched 10 points apiece in each half for the victors.
“Togetherness was the key – staying together as a team,” Walters said of the Tigers’ championship win. “We’ve been through a lot of obstacles, but we all just stuck together throughout the season. To get a championship means a lot to our team.”
Junior shooting guard Ethan Long scored 15 points, while sophomore point guard Jack Stevens had 12 points to pace the Bruins. Long shot 9 for 11 from the foul line and Stevens converted three 3-pointers for Brunswick, which finished its season with a record of 9-2 in the FAA and 12-11 overall.
Indeed, the shots weren’t falling in this title game for the Bruins, who had a lot of empty possessions – especially in the opening half of action.
“It was tough, we couldn’t get a rhythm, they were switching up their defenses pretty well and credit to them – they had a good game plan,” Bruins coach Steve Juricek said.
After Stevens’ 3-pointer brought Brunswick to within 10-8 with just over seven minutes left in the first half, GCDS went on a pivotal 16-3 run to open a 26-11 advantage. A 3-pointer from the left wing by junior guard Griffyn Flood and a basket off a putback by Flood made it 17-11 in favor of the Tigers. Following a 3-pointer, Brown made a pair of free throws, putting the Tigers on top, 22-11. Two more baskets by Brown Greenwich Country Day a 26-11 lead. Mekai’s last basket of the first half, a 3-pointer, made it 32-14.
The game was a rematch of the 2023 FAA Tournament final, which was won by Brunswick, 62-41. The Bruins also defeated the Tigers, 77-72, during the 2022-2023 regular season, so GCDS had plenty of motivation against Brunswick going into Saturday’s showdown.
“I was thinking about this the whole year,” Brown said. “We got the job done, they had us the first time, but we got it back. I’m proud of my whole team, I’m proud of myself, the fans, the coaches – everyone here.”
Senior guard Calder Truesdale scored eight points, six of which came in the second half, Flood had six points and senior point guard John Berbano added four points for the league champion Tigers.
“I’m so blessed that I was able to make history here, it feels amazing,” Berbano said. “Today, it was just us getting into our sets and executing. The first time we played them we didn’t execute, so the game plan was to execute. It was a battle – it was amazing game.”
Greenwich Country Day extended its lead to 41-19 at the 10:50 mark of the second half. A highlight of the Tigers’ 9-3 spurt to start the second half was Brown’s thunderous dunk off a steal.
“We just went out and played like we know how to play,” Brown noted.
Brunswick’s best moments came in the second half, as it began chipping away at GCDS’ sizeable lead. Junior 6-7 power forward Jaylen Prey grabbed an offensive rebound and scored, then hit a pair of free throws two possessions later, before throwing down a dunk, capping a 9-1 run to cut Greenwich Country Day’s advantage to 42-28.
Prey scored nine points before fouling out and junior 6-7 center Matty Augustine, who also fouled out late in the second half, had six points for the Bruins. Stevens made three 3-point shots late in the second half, as Brunswick closed to with 54-47, but the deficit was too much for the hosts to overcome.
“I’m proud of my guys for not quitting and fighting to the end,” Juricek said. “Ultimately, we ran out of time, but all the credit to GCDS, they’ve got a great program.”
“Foul trouble definitely hurt, guys fouled out, but we were able to get some guys in there and speed them up a little bit and turn them over,” Juricek continued. “But the hole we dug was a little bit too deep.”
GCDS sealed the win with clutch foul shooting down the stretch. For the game, the Tigers shot a stellar 22 of 27 from the foul line. Truesdale was 6 for 6 from the foul line, while Brown made six of his eight free throws. Sophomore Rowan Introzzi added three points in the win.
“We knew the run was coming, they’re too good of a team, too well-coached, so to get that cushion was huge,” Scanlon noted. “I was worried a few times, but again our leadership led us. It was a gutsy performance. Playing them two weeks ago, we were a little more ready for their physical play.”
Freshman guard Brandon Jean had five points for ‘Wick in its final game of the season.
“They’re a good team, they definitely prepared well for us and what defensive schemes to run,” Augustine noted. “We couldn’t really get anything to fall. The second half we came out with energy, but it wasn’t enough to get it done.”
With the FAA championship in its possession, GCDS (10-1 record against FAA opponents this season) will soon start action the NEPSAC Tournament, which begins next week.
“I think we can make a strong run in the NEPAC Tournament,” Brown said. “I think we can beat anybody.”
Indeed, this GCDS team will always be remembered by the school for winning its first FAA basketball tournament championship.
“We played them last year and last week and we didn’t play together,” Walters said. “Today, we were more locked in and we understood as a team that we had to play together, they’re a good team. That was the only way we were going to beat them and we got the job done. I’m super proud of everybody, I’m super proud of the coaches and all my teammates.”
“The season is not done though, there’s more to do,” Walters continued. “This is a good first accomplishment.”
