EDISON – Trista Whitney etched her name into St. Thomas Aquinas history, scoring her 1,000th career point and earning the Most Valuable Player award as the top-seeded Trojans cruised to a 93-34 victory over Monroe High School in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMCT) Tournament final on Friday night.
The night was a showcase of St. Thomas’s dominance, culminating in their sixth consecutive GMC championship. Whitney, a junior in her second year with the Trojans after transferring from Edison High School, nearly achieved a triple-double, adding 10 rebounds and eight assists to her impressive scoring feat.
“It was a very special experience,” Whitney said of reaching the scoring milestone in the GMCT finals. “We played really well tonight.”
Whitney’s 1,000th point came on a spinning layup with 5:11 left in the second quarter, prompting a timeout to celebrate the accomplishment. She joins teammates Gianna Chuffo and Leah Crosby as the third Trojan to reach the milestone this season. F
“Trista played another great game,” said St. Thomas coach Tim Corrigan. “I think she’s been our team’s MVP for the season. She can play any position on the floor. … She’s played at an extremely high level all season.”
The Trojans’ victory was a team effort, with six players scoring in double figures. Lauryn Downing contributed 16 points, including four three-pointers, and five steals. Crosby added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Leah Kearney (13 points), Jordan Barnes (11 points, three blocked shots), and Kayla Navarro (10 points) also made significant contributions. Notably, the team achieved this victory without Gianna Chuffo, who was sidelined due to an injury sustained before the GMCT semifinal.
The game, however, was marred by a controversial incident involving Monroe’s Evangelina Francisco, the program’s all-time leading scorer. With 19:43 remaining, Francisco was ejected after a flagrant foul was called following an altercation with Downing. According to video of the play, Downing appeared to push Francisco as she returned on defense, causing her to fall. Francisco then attempted to approach Downing, but teammates and security intervened.
Monroe coach Brian Hinz received a technical foul for his reaction to the ejection. Downing received a common foul. The incident resulted in six free throws for St. Thomas, with Crosby converting five, extending their lead to 41-16. Francisco, who led Monroe with 14 points, spent the rest of the game in the team room.
“She (Francisco) got robbed of a great opportunity because adults got it wrong,” Hinz said. “She did nothing wrong. She deserved to be on that floor.”
Despite the controversy, St. Thomas remained focused on their goal. “Winning the GMC Tournament is one of our goals at the beginning of the season,” said Corrigan, whose team also secured the GMC Red Division title with a 14-0 record. “We want to go undefeated in the GMC and win the title.”
Monroe (17-8) struggled against the dominant Trojans (22-6), having lost their two regular-season matchups by a combined 86 points. The night, however, belonged to Trista Whitney and the St. Thomas Trojans, as they celebrated a historic victory and a sixth consecutive GMC championship.
