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Westminster Wildcats Win 5 Straight, Including Tournament Championship

The Westminster Wildcats were riding high taking a win off of Whitfield, a team who is ranked among one of the best in the state, heading into the 46th Annual Washington Tournament. The Wildcats first task was to take on the opposing Wildcats of Union. Westminster, who snagged the two seed, was expected to win this game. While they did just that, it was not as convincing as many would have thought. The boys in blue found themselves down 17-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the Cats rallied back in the second quarter scoring 17 of their own, to Union’s 4. From there, the game was mainly in Westminster’s favor, withstanding a few runs Union made. The final score ended at 57-43, with some high scoring games from players on both teams. Ethan Hughes and Trevor Kelly led Union with 13 a piece, while Steve Webb led Westminster with a near Triple-Double, and finding himself in every stat line there could be (23 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks).

Coming off a solid win, the Wildcats were ready for their game against St. Dominic, who shocked Howell Central in the first round. This game was held in Westminster’s palm the entirety of play, increasing their lead every quarter, after scoring 25 points in the first. Cliff DeGroot was back to his normal self in this game, recording 8 three balls, and a total of 30 points. DeGroot was the lone scorer though, as Steve Webb hung 20 points himself. The Wildcats overcame the St. Dominic Crusaders 65-41, and moved themselves onto the championship game, against Washington High School, who had just beaten the number one seeded St. Charles Pirates.

The Blue Jays, who are led by sharpshooter Zach Harms and their 6’6” menace Cason Suggs, had played great basketball so far and looked to tack on a tournament championship as well. Little did they know, the Westminster Wildcats seeked revenge after getting beat in the second round of the MICDS Tournament, the Cats were hungrier than ever. As close as the game was, the lead never slipped out of Westminster’s hands. The dynamic duo of Cliff DeGroot and Steve Webb did it again, and had a combined 40 points out of their team’s total. Cason Suggs led the Washington Blue Jays with 25, but that was not enough to overcome the nonstop pressure the Wildcats put on them. Westminster ended up winning the game, and taking home the trophy, defeating a well coached, disciplined Washington basketball team 71-63.