CYO finalizes tournament brackets; tips off on Nov. 29

By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald

The 64th annual CYO high school basketball tournament, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl since 2008, begins on Nov. 29 at four Catholic school gymnasiums.

The 16-team tournament returns 2016 champion De La Salle, which defeated John Curtis, 83-72, in the CYO finals.

First-round games will be played at Brother Martin, Holy Cross, Jesuit and St. Paul’s. The first game at each site will start at 6 p.m.

The opening night schedule:

• At Brother Martin – Hahnville vs. John Curtis; East St. John vs. Brother Martin.
• At Holy Cross – De La Salle vs. Archbishop Shaw; Grace King vs. Holy Cross.
• At Jesuit – Slidell vs. St. Thomas Aquinas; St. Martin’s vs. Jesuit.
• At St. Paul’s – Fontainebleau vs. Archbishop Rummel; St. Stanislaus vs. St. Paul’s.

Opening night winners will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30, following games between first-night losers at          6 p.m.

The championship game will be played on Dec. 2.

The first CYO basketball tournament was contested  among four Catholic schools – Jesuit, Holy Cross, St. Aloysius and Redemptorist – in 1950. St. Aloysius won the first three championships.