Here's what happened to Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic boys basketball at Caldwell showcase

CALDWELL – Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic have plenty to ponder after leaving Saturday’s Dennis Gregory Memorial Classic with a loss.

Don Bosco has to think about making a few more free throws and a few less turnovers after losing a heart-pounder in triple-overtime to Hudson Catholic, 83-82.

“Just the little things down the stretch, some untimely turnovers and missed free throws, was the biggest difference,” Ironmen coach Kevin Diverio said.

Bergen Catholic has to think about how to keep its composure and play better as a team after losing to Rutgers Prep, 70-64, at Caldwell University.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, some things to improve upon,” Crusaders coach Billy Armstrong said.

Bergen Catholic (8-3) is No. 1 in the North Jersey Top 25 and Don Bosco (9-2) is No. 2 and not much separates these archrivals heading toward a Bergen County Jamboree that opens Jan. 29. They played a decidedly different brand of ball Saturday afternoon at the Newman Center.

Don Bosco just misses

First of all, Don Bosco would be saying, “What a great win!” if it had made one more free throw or one less turnover during any of those three four-minute overtimes.

Ironmen sophomore Dylan Harper was outstanding, shooting 9-for-11 from the line and scoring a team-high 34 points. Alas, in the final seconds of the third OT, Harper missed a contested drive in the lane, then grabbed the rebound and missed a contested putback.

Don Bosco’s roster is dominated by mid-size athletes who play tremendous help defense. That helped the Ironmen compete against more talented Hudson Catholic, which was led by sophomore Tahaad Pettiford’s 40 points.

“We always come with energy, that’s our thing,” Diverio said. “We play defense all the time.”

Don Bosco made a huge play to force the first OT. Senior Nicholas Koch (16 points) scored on a drive at the fourth-quarter buzzer to tie the score at 59.

Don Bosco had its best chance to win it in the second OT. The Ironmen led, 72-67, and had possession, but multiple turnovers opened the door for the Hawks, who tied it at 74.

Immediate refocus is a necessity for Don Bosco. The Ironmen were headed to Massachusetts on Saturday evening and slated to face New York’s Archbishop Stepinac at 9 a.m. Sunday as part of the Hoop Hall.

“We have to bounce back, we’ve got to be tough, mentally tough,” Diverio said. “Physically, we’ve got to get some fluids in us, get some rest.”

Bergen Catholic off the mark

Bergen Catholic was out of sync, and a lot of that had to do with heavy defensive pressure applied by Rutgers Prep. That and senior Ryan Pettit’s 26 points.

Armstrong actually sent in five reserves with 1:42 left in the third quarter and Bergen Catholic trailing, 52-41. The reserves held their own, with Tyler McQuaid scoring at the end of the third to make it 55-45. The Crusaders starters began to return with 6:45 left in the fourth and the lead cut to 55-47.

“I thought we slipped below the line a little bit in terms of allowing the referee calls to affect us,” Armstrong said. “So I had to make that change and get our guys calmed down, and they came back in and did a good job.”

Bergen Catholic senior guard Will Richardson scored a game-high 22 points, including 12 in the first quarter to keep the deficit within 19-16. Sophomore center Terry Copeland scored 18 and senior guard Julian Brown 10.

Bergen Catholic does not play again until next weekend. The Crusaders, who lost Thursday to Phelps (Pa.), 75-68, are still awaiting the return of sophomore standout point guard Elliot Cadeau (ankle).

“Knowing the kids in the locker room, I think we will correct it,” Armstrong said. “It’s a couple of tough games these last two games, but we’re getting guys healthy, and we’ll correct some things here, and I know these guys will bounce back and respond.”

Greg Mattura is a sports reporter for NorthJersey.com. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis from our Varsity Aces team, subscribe today. To get breaking news directly to your phone, sign up for our newsletter and download our app.

Email: mattura@northjersey.com

Twitter: @gregmattura

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ boys basketball: Don Bosco and Bergen Catholic lose at showcase