Bergen Catholic knocks off previously unbeaten Don Bosco by Greg Mattura of The Record
RAMSEY – Matt Zona, Taj Benning and Gabe Stefanini each stepped to the foul line in the final 31 seconds and it added up to major victory for Bergen Catholic.
The Crusaders, No. 2 in The Record boys basketball Top 25, knocked off previously unbeaten and No. 1 Don Bosco, 67-62, on Friday night after Zona, Benning and Stefanini each made two critical free throws.
“We’ve been doing it all year,” Bergen Catholic coach Billy Armstrong said.
Free throws were the difference in this extremely intense Big North United Division showdown, with Bergen Catholic shooting 14-for-17 (82 percent) to win here for the first time since 2006 and Don Bosco converting just 9-for-21 (43 percent).
“Very uncharacteristic of us,” Don Bosco coach Kevin Diverio said of the foul shooting. “We’re shooting 80 percent as a team on the year, so today was a blip on the radar, not our norm. I’m not concerned about it at all.”
Bergen Catholic (10-1 overall, 4-0 United) remained atop its division while likely gaining the inside track on the No. 1 slot for the Bergen Jamboree, which will be seeded and selected on Jan. 25. Don Bosco (9-1, 2-1) could still catch the Crusaders for the United title and in the Jamboree seeding.
Benning was 8-for-10 from the foul line en route to a team-high 17 points. Stefanini was 3-for-4 from the foul line and scored 15. Sophomore guard Douglas Edert hit a pair of three-pointers and scored 11. Senior center Thomas Binelli also hit a pair of treys, scoring eight.
Zona, a freshman forward who scored four, made both ends of a one-and-one with 31 seconds left to give Bergen Catholic a 63-60 lead. Benning made two free throws with 12 seconds left to extend the Crusaders’ lead to 65-62. Stefanini sealed the win with his two foul shots with six seconds left.
“Zona hit probably the biggest free throws of the game,” said Benning. “A freshman stepped up to the line in probably the biggest game he’s ever played and knocked down two huge free throws.”
“We’ve had a couple of other games where we made free throws at the end of the fourth quarter,” Armstrong said. “We’ve grown with our maturity, and I’ve got guys who are pretty good.”
Junior forward Marcellus Earlington was outstanding for Don Bosco and scored a game-high 23 points. His tip-in pulled the Ironmen within 63-62, but after Benning’s two foul shots, the hosts turned the ball over.
Junior swingman Ronald Harper scored 16, including a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter. Senior center Manley Dorme and junior reserve Matt Herasme chipped in six points apiece.
“We definitely wanted this game,” Benning said. “And a lot of people tried to downplay it, tried to make it seem like it’s just another game on the schedule, but it’s a rivalry, and we come in there looking to win.”
“It definitely gives us some confidence,” Armstrong said, “but we can’t really praise ourselves too much.”