Three RIIL basketball titles are on the line at The AMP on Monday. Here's what you need to know
2024 RIIL Girls Basketball Division IV Championship
No. 1 Johnston vs. No. 2 Hope
LEAGUE RECORD: Johnston 17-1, Hope 16-2
HOW THEY GOT HERE: In the semifinals, Johnston beat No. 5 Block Island, 49-25, while Hope beat No. 2 Davies, 46-29.
PREVIOUS MATCHUP: Johnston swept the season series, winning at home, 62-28, on January 9 and then at Hope, 49-45, on Jan. 31.
TOTAL TITLES: Johnston 6 (6 Division II), Hope 2 (2 Division III)
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: Johnston beat Scituate, 39-24, in the 2018 Division II championship game; Hope lost to Central Falls, 57-54, in the 2009 Division III championship game.
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Johnston beat Scituate, 39-34, to win the 2018 Division II championship. Hope beat Fatima, 54-42, in the 2008 Division III championship game.
HEAD COACHES: Johnston – Jhamal Diggs; Hope – Jalen Dupre.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Johnston – Aubree Allen, G, Sr.; Olivia Iafrate, G, Jr.; Jayanah Rollins, Johnson, Sr.; Ava Waterman, G, Sr.; Annabella Gesualdi, F, So.; Hope – Evianna Lankford, G, Sr.; Sa-Moni McKay, G, Jr.; Eridania Mendoza, G, Sr.; Ja’Ray Washington, G, So.; Jorday Johnson, F, Fr.
KEY RESERVES: Johnston – Vanessa Febus, F, So.; Riley Guenette, F, Sr.; Hannah Lavergne, G, Sr.; Hope – Sofia Galvis, G, Sr.; Arianys Garo Rios, C, Jr.; Kenya Thompson, G, So..
OUTLOOK: The first matchup between these two teams should be largely ignored because Hope was without star freshman Jorday Johnson. The second game is a better indicator of what we’ll see Monday and there’s not a lot to break down. This game will come down to how the Blue Wave handle the Panther press. If Johnston smothers Hope, creates turnovers and Jayanah Rollins turns it into a layup line, the Panthers win. If the Blue Wave can prevent turnovers and get the ball in Johnson’s hands, Hope wins. Johnston would love it if Ava Waterman gets hot from the outside and Hope wouldn’t mind if Eridania Mendoza did the same, but don’t overthink this. Whoever wins the battle between Johnston’s press and Hope’s offense wins this game.
RUEB’S PICK: Johnston
2024 Girls Basketball Division III Championship
No. 2 Exeter-West Greenwich vs. No. 5 Toll Gate
WHERE: The AMP
WHEN: 6 p.m.
LEAGUE RECORD: Exeter-West Greenwich 13-5, Toll Gate 11-7
HOW THEY GOT HERE: In the quarterfinals, Exeter-West Greenwich beat No. 7 Lincoln, 62-46, while Toll Gate beat No. 4 North Providence, 50-48. In the semifinals, the Scarlet Knights beat No. 6 Lincoln School, 58-41, while the Titans beat No. 1 Narragansett, 33-30.
PREVIOUS MATCHUP: Exeter-West Greenwich won at home against Toll Gate, 51-41, on Dec. 15.
TOTAL TITLES: Exeter-West Greenwich 1 (Division II); Toll Gate 2 (2 State)
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: Exeter-West Greenwich beat Barrington, 54-45, in the 2004 Division II Championship game. Toll Gate beat Warwick Vets, 53-28, in the 1983 Division I (State) Championship game.
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: Exeter-West Greenwich beat Barrington, 54-45, to win the 2004 Division II Championship. Toll Gate beat Warwick Vets, 53-28, to win the 1983 Division I (State) Championship.
HEAD COACHES: Exeter-West Greenwich – Erica Berek; Toll Gate – Jim Areson.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Exeter-West Greenwich – Kate Hebert, G, Fr.; Ella Johnson, G, Sr.; Emma Mears, G, Sr.; Kendall Husband, F, So.; Nini Olawuyi, C, So.. Toll Gate – Adeline Areson, G, Sr.; Dulce Garcia, G, Sr.; Rihanna Tavares, G, Sr.; Lola Olink,F, Sr.; Amanda Preston, F, Sr.
KEY RESERVES: Exeter-West Greenwich – Cora Cranston, F, So.; Brielle Frenette, G, Fr.; Kayleigh Justiniano-Wahl, F, So. Toll Gate – Riley Giroux, F, Sr.; Mary McNulty, C, Sr.
OUTLOOK: Defense got Toll Gate past top-seeded Narragansett and the game plan can’t change. With EWG’s run-and-gun offense, the Scarlet Knights are going to want the game to be played at a high pace. If they’re flying up and down the court, knocking down shots and feeling confident early, it’s their game to lose. Of course, there is history to consider – teams that rely heavily on the outside shot traditionally struggle once games start taking place in these massive gyms.
Toll Gate has to disrupt that with physicality on defense and taking care of the ball on offense. It will be interesting to see if Toll Gate’s Dulce Garcia shadows one of EWG’s snipers – Ella Johnson or Emma Mears – or if she tries to smother guard Kate Hebert, a freshman who really makes the offense go. EWG’s no-so-secret weapon is Nini Olawuyi, a 5-11 track star who has athletic skills Toll Gate can’t match. She went off vs. a smaller Narragansett team in the semis so how the Titans try to restrict her will be a game within a game.
Toll Gate’s Adeline Areson is the player to watch because if she decides she’s going to take over, the Titans will win this thing. There’s just not a lot of athletes in the state who can match her competitive drive and after missing last year, that matters.
EWG is the favorite and should win, but sometimes you have to go with your gut and pick the player you think can carry a team to the promised land.
RUEB’S PICK: Toll Gate
RIIL Boys Basketball Division III Championship
No. 1 North Providence vs. No. 2 Juanita Sanchez
WHERE: The AMP
WHEN: Monday, 8 p.m.
LEAGUE RECORD: North Providence 16-1, Juanita Sanchez 15-2
HOW THEY GOT HERE: In the quarterfinals, North Providence beat No. 8 Blackstone Valley Prep, 62-50, while Juanita Sanchez beat No. 10 Ponaganset, 70-45. In the semifinals, the Cougars beat No. 4 Moses Brown, 40-35, while the Cavaliers beat No. 3 Central Falls, 58-47.
PREVIOUS MATCHUP: Juanita Sanchez took care of business on the road, beating North Providence 68-50 on Feb. 7.
TOTAL TITLES: North Providence 8 (7 Division II, 1 Division III), Juanita Sanchez 2 (2 Division III)
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE: North Providence beat Juanita Sanchez, 60-46, in the 2023 Division III Championship game.
LAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP: North Providence beat Juanita Sanchez, 60-46, to win the 2023 Division III Championship. Juanita Sanchez beat Mt. Hope, 82-66, to win the 2014 Division III Championship.
HEAD COACHES: North Providence – Fernando Torres; Juanita Sanchez – Mark Alexander.
PROBABLE STARTERS: North Providence – Jeremiah Lenus, G, So.; Ryan Rodriguez, G, Sr.; Kaleb Drane, F, Sr.; Kyle Prete, F, Jr.; Ronald Vincent, F, Jr. Juanita Sanchez – Kyle Delves, G, Fr.; Angel Folger, G, Sr.; Jesus Folger, G, Sr.; Brailin Dominguez, F, So.; Taurean Williams, F, Sr.;
KEY RESERVES: North Providence – Yosiel Bonilla, G, Jr. Juanita Sanchez – Tyrell Paye, F, Jr.; Robert Robinson, F, Jr.; Orlando Torres, G, Sr.;
OUTLOOK: The rematch of last year’s D-III title game should be fun, but don’t get it twisted – this game is going to look a lot different. The Cougars are built the same as last year, trying to win with a disciplined defense and a patient offensive attack. How they dictate pace will go a long way in deciding this game. Going man on defense might be a mistake against Juanita – which is the more athletic team – and we could see NP drop into an extended 2-3 and dare the Cavaliers to shoot over it. At a big gym, expect misses and if the Cougars rebound, they’ll be tough to beat.
Juanita Sanchez craves pace. They’ve got athletes at every position and all five can put up numbers in transition. The court at the AMP is massive compared to what they’ve played on and the additional spacing is only going to help the offense. The Cavaliers need consistent ball movement and can’t settle for threes in halfcourt, but if things go right they’ll turn this into a track meet. If that happens, it could be a big day for Kyle Delves and Taurean Williams and if those two are getting buckets, Juanita’s taking a trophy home at the end.
Discipline is going to be the difference. If Juanita runs away early it won’t matter, but if things get tight it’s hard not to like the team that’s done it before. This pick might backfire – by a lot – but I have to make it.
RUEB’S PICK: North Providence
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RIIL Boys and Girls Basketball Division III and IV Championship information
