Piscataway – The Bergen Catholic Crusaders faced off against the Camden Catholic Irish for the NJSIAA Non-Public A State Championship.
After the first half of the play, Bergen Catholic found itself trailing 27-23. As the second half got underway, it seemed as if it was going to be the same story as the first half as Camden Catholic extended its lead to nine points to end the third quarter.
It all seemed to click for the Crusaders down the stretch in the fourth quarter, though. The defense tightened up, and the offense found its groove and made a comeback. The Crusaders held the Irish to just six points in the last quarter of play after giving up 18 and 16 points in the previous two quarters. Meanwhile, the offense was rolling, scoring a total of 18 points in the final frame.
The Crusaders took the victory, winning the game 52-49, thanks to the big efforts put forth by their three stars. Junior Jaden Brown led the team in scoring with 18 points as he took over in the fourth quarter scoring eight of his points down the stretch.
His fellow teammate, four-star recruit and top five player in the state according to 247 Sports, Julius Avent, contributed with 13 points, four rebounds, and on the final possession, Avent sealed the game with a block on a three point attempt by the Irish.
Senior Declan Wucherpfennig made sure he gave his team one last great performance as he recorded a double-double on the night with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Seamus Bieg, Bryce Clark, and Luke Kennevan all reached double figures in scoring for Camden Catholic. Clark finished with 18 points, Beig had 14, and Kennevan recorded 10. Azyris Richmond led the Irish on the glass with 10 boards.
The win against Camden Catholic marks the fifth state championship in Bergen Catholic’s history, and this is the first one since going back to back in the 2019 and 2022 seasons.
