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Don Bosco Prep thumps Bergen Catholic, Wins Bergen County Jamboree

Basketball, Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, Featured, High School

February 18, 2023

In the Bergen County Jamboree final, the Don Bosco Prep Ironmen (25-2) rolled to a convincing 71-49 victory over the Bergen Catholic Crusaders (19-8) at the Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Don Bosco displayed a balanced scoring attack with five players reaching double figures, led by Dylan Harper, Noah Barnett, and Brady Loughlin, all tallying 15 points apiece. Isaiah Brown chipped in with 11 points, and Evan Carbal added ten.

"I thought the difference was our defense, and we battled their kids all night long and a very tough match-up for us," Don Bosco Head Coach Kevin Diverio explained. Brady (Loughlin), Noah (Barnett), Will (Mensah), Dylan (Harper) and Evan (Cabral) dug deep in and were able to score."

"For us it all starts on the defensive end, and we have been doing it all year and our goal was to get multiple stops in a row. We don't press and blow you out and it's more methodical. I love playing here and to come back here and win a championship I'm proud of the kids and happy for them. This arena is the perfect site for this event and it's a big win for the program."

In front of a packed capacity crowd, the Ironmen led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. With the game tied at 5-5, Don Bosco exploded for a 7-0 run against the Crusaders.

Leading 20-17 in the second quarter, the Ironmen caught fire from behind the arc, boosting their advantage. The pivotal moment occurred when Brady Loughlin buried a corner trifecta while getting fouled in the act of shooting. Loughlin drained the free throw to complete the four-point play as Don Bosco Prep led 32-22 at halftime.

"Brady (Loughlin) stepped up and had good contributions throughout the game, and that four-point play gave us a huge momentum, and to go from an eight to 12-point lead and one possession was huge," Coach Diverio described.

Once the third quarter commenced, the Ironmen could pound the ball inside the paint and get out on the fast break that widened the margin even further. Dylan Harper dropped eight points, including a thunderous two-handed dunk off a steal. Don Bosco upped their lead to 51-38 at the end of the period.

In the fourth quarter, the Ironmen continued to step on the gas pedal, with Noah Barnett leading the charge netting eight points as Don Bosco Prep expanded their advantage. The Ironmen went on to cruise to victory.