Classic Championship Preview: Academy vs St. John's

The Girls High School Basketball Classic, presented by Secret, wraps up Thursday, Oct 29, at the UOG Calvo Field House. Both teams in the final are unbeaten, and neither has been tested all week.

Championship: Academy vs St. John's, 6:45 PM

This is a rematch of last season's final, which St. John's won 58-57, and it will likely be decided in the first quarter. St. John's has outscored its five opponents 90-10 in first quarters, an average of 18-2, and most of its games were over by the end of one. No one has made the Knights play from behind, and Academy is the first team that can.

Academy builds its leads differently. The Cougars are only up 48-24 in first quarters, but they have outscored opponents 133-41 in the second and third. In Wednesday's semifinal, a 20-2 third quarter turned an 11-point halftime lead into a blowout. If Academy can stay close through the first eight minutes, the game moves onto its terms.

The other big question is balance. Zoe Whitehead leads the tournament with 116 points, about 38% of St. John's scoring, and slowing her will be Academy's first job. The Knights still have answers if she's slowed, with Chloe Laxamana, Zahna Whitehead and Mia Aguigui all over 30 points. Academy is just as deep. Keni Paulino has 65 points and a team-high nine 3-pointers, and Suri Sanchez, Ani Shiroma and Anaiah Taylor have all scored 24 or more.

St. John's beat GW and Southern by wider margins than Academy did, so it comes in as the favorite. Academy's defense, which allows just 20.8 points a game, gives it a real chance at the upset.

Third Place: GW vs Southern, 5:30 PM

Both teams are 3-2, and both lost only to the two finalists. But they get their points at opposite ends of the game.

GW starts fast. The Geckos have won their first quarters but have been outscored 65-41 in second quarters, and their two losses got away from them before halftime. Southern finishes. The Dolphins have outscored opponents 60-44 in fourth quarters, including a 21-9 fourth quarter to beat Notre Dame in the quarterfinals.

GW depends on two players. Laurel Osborn (63 points) and Riley Roberto (47) have scored 61% of the Geckos' points, so if Southern slows one of them, GW will have a hard time keeping up. Southern leans on Lana Quinata, who has 64 points, but Shayna Taimanglo and Zoe Luzanta give them more ways to score. Southern also has the better defense, allowing 33.6 points a game to GW's 42.8. If GW builds an early lead, watch whether it holds up in the fourth.

Both games stream live on Clutch+, and you can follow every score on The ScoreBench.