The St. Andrew's School boys prep basketball team overcame injuries to two of its top players to win the 2019 NEPSAC Class AA title recently.

The Saints entered the tournament as the top seed and proceeded to defeat defending champion and eighth-seeded Tilton School (NH), 68-58, in the quarterfinals. 

“Senior Brycen Goodine, post-grad Benson Lin, and post-grad Keegan Records all scored in double figures,” said St. Andrew's Coach Mike Hart. “However, we lost three-year starting point guard senior Robert Baum, whose season ended with an ankle injury at the seven-minute mark.”

Next up, the Saints faced always tough and fifth-seeded Vermont Academy (Vt.) In an up and down first half, the Saints managed to take a 55-44 halftime lead. The home team then increased the lead to 65-50 when 6-foot 9-inch starting center Records went down with a season-ending ankle injury. 

Vermont capitalized and cut the lead to 69-67 with just under two minutes left. 

Brycen Goodine then made a crucial three-point shot with 1:34 left to make it a 72-67 game. Saints’ junior, 6-foot 9-inch Myles Wilmoth then blocked two Vermont three-point shot attempts while the Saints made all of their free throws down the stretch. 

The final score was 81-68, St. Andrew's. 

Goodine, Lin, Wilmoth, Records, and post-grad Matt Relihan finished in double figures with Wilmoth, Goodine and Records also having double figures in rebounds.

In the championship game, the Saints were facing long odds being down two important starters and taking on a red-hot number two seeded Cushing Academy (Mass.) team. 

Cushing started off the game with a lead, (16-7) with 10 minutes left in the first half. However, sophomore point guard Matt Constant, getting his first career start, made a three-point shot that propelled the Saints on a huge run that ended with the Saints up 43-37 at the half. 

Lin and Goodine then went on a rampage making three-point shots and steals while getting rebounds and assists. Relihan (10 points, 8 rebounds) provided some clutch shooting and rebounding while sophomore Dylan Ahearn also helped on the defensive end off the bench. Constant finished with eight points, eight assists and six rebounds.

But it was the emergence of Wilmoth (15 points, 13 rebounds) that pushed the Saints to end Cushing's multiple runs and help secure an 84-72 win.

“Brycen Goodine (25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists) was named MVP, but fellow guard Benson Lin delivered 24 points and 7 steals and could have been named co-MVP, if allowed by NEPSAC,” said Coach Hart.

This was St. Andrew's eighth NEPSAC Championship in five different classifications with Coach Hart earning his seventh title. It was an impressive season which ended with a 26-7 record.

As Coach Hart noted in conclusion, “This has been a magical year, not only for myself (the St. Andrew’s School basketball court was named in his honor earlier), but for these fantastic, hard-working group of players. I couldn’t ask for anything more. All I can say is, we did it!”