St. Christina rolls to SSBL 7th-grade title

Completing a dominant campaign, St. Christina rolled past St. Gerald 59-26 on March 11 at Marist High School to win the South Suburban Basketball League (SSBL)-North championship.

St. Christina Coach Mary Schapendonk said that, at the start of the year, her players clicked immediately, which created a potent team chemistry.

“From the moment Collin came in, these boys took him in,” Schapendonk said. “He’s a great kid, very likable and easily coachable, an all-around good kid. They’re a very tight group of kids, even outside of basketball. They brought him in with open arms.”

St. Christina won the Southside Catholic Conference championship last weekend with a 49-29 victory over Christ the King at Br. Rice High School.

The Cardinals also won the Br. Rice seventh-grade tournament this year. The team’s only loss this year came to Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in an eighth-grade tournament.

“These boys come in and play really hard and work well as a team,” Schapendonk said. “That’s so important. You win as a team and lose as a team. Everybody has been a part of this team.”

Lawlor led the Cardinals against St. Gerald with 12 points. Andrew Sell (7 rebounds, 2 steals) and Brennan O’Boyle scored 9 points apiece. TJ Burgos (8 points, 7 steals) and Jack Schapendonk (6 points, 4 rebounds) also turned in key performances. All 10 players on the team scored in the SSBL championship.

The St. Christina roster also includes Nick Olson (3 points, 6 rebounds), Luken Gill (2 points, 5 rebounds), Tyler Palacz (5 points), Jack Gray (2 points), Jay Mayoski (3 points), Assistant Coach Brian Healy and Assistant Coach Ernie Cain.

Coach Schapendonk said key factors for the Cardinals were depth and preparation.

“The bench played phenomenal. We go pretty deep as a team,” Schapendonk said. “They push each other in practice. Our practices are very physical. They don’t let up. They do well against each other and prepare each other. I have 10 players I can put on the court, and they’re going to show up and be ready to play.”

In winning the SSBL, St. Christina left no doubt. Holding a slim 8-5 advantage midway through the first half, the Cardinals hit the gas and reeled off a lightning-quick 21-0 run over the next 7 minutes and were up 29-9 at halftime.

Burgos, Lawlor, O’Boyle, Schapendonk and Palacz all scored as part of the game-changing run that featured fast-break buckets, three-point shots and impressive pressure defense.

“There are three things that win championships: rebounding, defense and offense,” Schapendonk said. “You’ve got to have all three to win a championship. Each boy brings something to the team. They work hard and work as a team, and all get along, which is huge.”