Benedictine Routs Varina

by Seneca Contomanolis
DigitalSports Richmond

Benedictine got off to a slow start but it was not long before the Cadets were playing like the reigning Virginia Independent Schools Division I champions.

Ed Davis scored a game-high 22 points as Benedictine easily defeated Varina 84-36 in the quarterfinals of the Rebel Invitational at Mills Godwin on Wednesday.

The Cadets trailed 4-2 halfway through the first quarter but then Davis hit two free throws and the rout was on. The 6-9 post player would go on to have three dunks in the first quarter and Brad Burgess added a couple of three-pointers to put Benedictine up 20-8 after the first.

“The kids were excited to go out and score a point on every shot,” Benedictine coach Sean McAloon said. “Once we got our first points we finally got into a little rhythm.”

Benedictine continued to pull away in the second behind Davis inside and Burgess, Darien Brothers and Kevin Gill from the outside. Their defense was also tenacious rarely giving Varina’s Bobby Smith (13 points) and Quvaughn Jones (12 points) open looks. At halftime the Cadets led 44-16.

“Offensively Davis is great,” McAloon said. “And on defense he allows us to push out our wings as far as we can. Defensively he totally changes the game and is our safety net.”

In the second half the Cadets continued to poor it on offensively and defensively, holding the Blue Devils to just five points in the third. Davis, who has already committed to play at North Carolina, did not even play in the fourth quarter as Benedictine was able to coast to the victory.

Burgess, headed to Virginia Commonwealth next year, finished with 16 points, Brothers with eight and Gill had seven. This was the fourth game the Cadets had already played this season since they took part in a tournament in Illinois that McAloon said helped the team.

“That was the basis of the trip,” McAloon said. “We spent four days together and that was the best thing that could have happened to us. We have been building off that.”

Varina 8 8 5 15 – 36
Benedictine 20 24 20 20 – 84

Varina (0-1): Davenport 0, Anderson 0, Upshaw 2, Beasley 0, Philpott 3, B. Smith 13, Jones 12, T. Smith 2, Sellers 0, Green 2, Little 2. Totals: 12 6-11 36. 3-point goals: Philpott, B. Smith.
Benedictine (n/a): B. Burgess 16, Brothers 8, Gill 7, Conner 5, Conte 4, Harvey 0, Bagley 4, Vining 4, Whitting 2, Davis 22, Moody 5, J. Burgess 0, Albert 7. Totals: 29 11-18 84. 3-point goals: B. Burgess 2, Gill, Conner, Moody.