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PISCATAWAY – Bergen Catholic turned up the heat in the fourth quarter one final time and felt the warmth of a state title.
The Crusaders rallied from a nine-point deficit and captured the Non-Public A state boys’ basketball championship with a 52-49 victory over Camden Catholic on Friday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers.
Junior Julius Avent blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds to secure Bergen Catholic’s sixth state championship and comeback from a 43-34 deficit.
“We just turned up that pressure well in that fourth quarter,” Avent said.
“I think it was just our guys staying with it and being gritty,” Bergen Catholic coach Billy Armstrong said.
Junior Jaden Brown scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth, culminating with two rim-friendly free throws with 19 seconds left to give Bergen Catholic (27-5) its 52-49 lead.
Senior Declan Wucherpfennig scored 16, including a layup to start the Crusaders’ comeback from the 43-34 deficit, and he also forced a Camden Catholic miss on a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds. Avent scored 13, with two first-half treys that kept the Crusaders within 27-23 after a disappointing first half.
Sophomore Bryce Clark led Camden Catholic (24-7) with 18 points, and his floater in the lane cut the deficit to 50-47. Junior Seamus Bieg hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored 14, and senior Luke Kennevan added 10, closing with a drive to give the Fighting Irish a 45-41 lead.
“I think my teammates, my brothers, we were lifting each other up, and that’s what we did,” Brown said of the comeback. “That energy in the fourth was like, ‘We’re not going to lose this game.’”
Bergen Catholic’s state title is part of a grand slam of crowns, as the program won Big North United Division, Bergen County Jamboree and North Non-Public A sectional championships.
The Crusaders have won NJSIAA titles in their last three trips to the final, starting in 2019 and continuing in 2022 when this senior class was freshmen. They also won titles in 1978, as well as 1994 when Armstrong was a player.
Bergen Catholic has won several close games this season by dominating the final quarter and outscored Camden Catholic, 18-6. The Crusaders turned up the defensive intensity and made big baskets, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and making their last seven free throws.
“Our kids just stuck together, reset, got a couple of stops early in the fourth quarter, and honestly they’ve been doing it all year,” Armstrong said.
Brown led the comeback. He capped a 7-0 run with a drive for a basket, then turned another drive into a three-point play to pull the Crusaders within 43-41 with 5:43 remaining. He also hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to 45-44.
Bergen Catholic’s supporting cast, after a quiet three quarters, contributed key points. Senior Nehemiah Snell (3 points) made his lone basket midway through the fourth and his layup put the Crusaders ahead to stay, 46-45. Senior Tyler McQuaid scored his only two points on two free throws with 1:17 left in the fourth for a 50-47 lead.
Defense sealed the win. With Bergen Catholic leading 52-49, Wucherpfennig harassed Clark into missing an off-balance, step-back 3-pointer from the right wing and the ball went out of bounds. With 3.6 seconds left, Avent blocked a desperation, NBA-length 3-pointer, caught the ball, and threw it in the air at the buzzer to trigger the celebration.
Bergen Catholic shot 41 percent from the field (18-for-44) and 71 percent from the foul line (12-for-17). Brown made all five of his free throws in the fourth.
Camden Catholic shot 46 percent from the field (18-for-39) and 57 percent from the line (8-for-14). In the fourth, the Fighting Irish shot 3-for-10 from the field and committed three turnovers.
“I think it was just our intensity and our energy,” Wucherpfennig said. “We had a slow start, it’s all new to us, this state game, and it took us a little bit, but we eventually got there and it all started clicking in the fourth quarter.”
“I’ve got six seniors who stayed with me for four years, particularly Tyler, Nehemiah, Declan,” Armstrong said. “I’ve seen them grow up as kids, freshmen. They got so much better and improved and stuck with it, and I just think they deserve it so much.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Catholic rallies in fourth to win state boys basketball title
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The Crusaders rallied from a nine-point deficit and captured the Non-Public A state boys’ basketball championship with a 52-49 victory over Camden Catholic on Friday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena at Rutgers.
Junior Julius Avent blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds to secure Bergen Catholic’s sixth state championship and comeback from a 43-34 deficit.
“We just turned up that pressure well in that fourth quarter,” Avent said.
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“I think it was just our guys staying with it and being gritty,” Bergen Catholic coach Billy Armstrong said.
Junior Jaden Brown scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth, culminating with two rim-friendly free throws with 19 seconds left to give Bergen Catholic (27-5) its 52-49 lead.
Senior Declan Wucherpfennig scored 16, including a layup to start the Crusaders’ comeback from the 43-34 deficit, and he also forced a Camden Catholic miss on a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds. Avent scored 13, with two first-half treys that kept the Crusaders within 27-23 after a disappointing first half.
Sophomore Bryce Clark led Camden Catholic (24-7) with 18 points, and his floater in the lane cut the deficit to 50-47. Junior Seamus Bieg hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored 14, and senior Luke Kennevan added 10, closing with a drive to give the Fighting Irish a 45-41 lead.
“I think my teammates, my brothers, we were lifting each other up, and that’s what we did,” Brown said of the comeback. “That energy in the fourth was like, ‘We’re not going to lose this game.’”
What it means
Bergen Catholic’s state title is part of a grand slam of crowns, as the program won Big North United Division, Bergen County Jamboree and North Non-Public A sectional championships.
The Crusaders have won NJSIAA titles in their last three trips to the final, starting in 2019 and continuing in 2022 when this senior class was freshmen. They also won titles in 1978, as well as 1994 when Armstrong was a player.
Fourth-quarter comeback
Bergen Catholic has won several close games this season by dominating the final quarter and outscored Camden Catholic, 18-6. The Crusaders turned up the defensive intensity and made big baskets, shooting 5-for-7 from the field and making their last seven free throws.
“Our kids just stuck together, reset, got a couple of stops early in the fourth quarter, and honestly they’ve been doing it all year,” Armstrong said.
Brown led the comeback. He capped a 7-0 run with a drive for a basket, then turned another drive into a three-point play to pull the Crusaders within 43-41 with 5:43 remaining. He also hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to 45-44.
Bergen Catholic’s supporting cast, after a quiet three quarters, contributed key points. Senior Nehemiah Snell (3 points) made his lone basket midway through the fourth and his layup put the Crusaders ahead to stay, 46-45. Senior Tyler McQuaid scored his only two points on two free throws with 1:17 left in the fourth for a 50-47 lead.
Defense sealed the win. With Bergen Catholic leading 52-49, Wucherpfennig harassed Clark into missing an off-balance, step-back 3-pointer from the right wing and the ball went out of bounds. With 3.6 seconds left, Avent blocked a desperation, NBA-length 3-pointer, caught the ball, and threw it in the air at the buzzer to trigger the celebration.
By the numbers
Bergen Catholic shot 41 percent from the field (18-for-44) and 71 percent from the foul line (12-for-17). Brown made all five of his free throws in the fourth.
Camden Catholic shot 46 percent from the field (18-for-39) and 57 percent from the line (8-for-14). In the fourth, the Fighting Irish shot 3-for-10 from the field and committed three turnovers.
They said it
“I think it was just our intensity and our energy,” Wucherpfennig said. “We had a slow start, it’s all new to us, this state game, and it took us a little bit, but we eventually got there and it all started clicking in the fourth quarter.”
“I’ve got six seniors who stayed with me for four years, particularly Tyler, Nehemiah, Declan,” Armstrong said. “I’ve seen them grow up as kids, freshmen. They got so much better and improved and stuck with it, and I just think they deserve it so much.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Catholic rallies in fourth to win state boys basketball title
Continue reading...
