Camden Catholic boys fall in state basketball final as Bergen Catholic rains threes

TOMS RIVER – The first sign was a three-point jumper by Bergen Catholic’s Matt Zona, a 6-foot-9 junior.

The second sign was another three-pointer, this one from well behind the line, by Bergen Catholic’s Doug Edert.

The third sign – the surest indication this wasn’t going to be Camden Catholic’s day – came moments later, when Edert hit another three-pointer from the intersection of Rt. 9 and Ridgeway Road.

“They hit threes – deep threes,’ ” Camden Catholic senior guard Patrick Corbett said, shaking his head.

Standing a few feet away, Camden Catholic senior Baba Ajike recalled the second of Edert’s trio of three-pointers in the first quarter: “Ridiculous.”

Fueled by that flurry of three-pointers, Bergen Catholic built a 23-8 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 78-61 victory over Camden Catholic Saturday in the Non-Public A state championship game at RWJ Barnabas Arena.

Edert, a 6-foot-2 St. Peter’s recruit, finished with 19 points, while Zona added 17, and Xavier recruit Zach Freemantle, a 6-foot-8 senior, added 16 for Bergen Catholic (26-3), which won its 16th game in a row and advanced to the Tournament of Champions.

“They were good, but they weren’t unbeatable,” said Camden Catholic senior Valen Tejada, who bounced off the bench to score 16 points, including 13 in helping to keep the Irish in contention in the first half. “We just fell behind in the first quarter and had to play behind the whole game.”

Ajike scored 17 points with 11 rebounds, and Okafor finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds in their final games for Camden Catholic (26-4).

“It’s hard to put into words,” Ajike said. “I going to miss playing with these guys, seeing the coaches every day.”

Okafor wiped tears from his eyes in trying to gain perspective on this season and his four years with the program.

“I just didn’t think this was going to be the end,” Okafor said. “I really thought we were going to win this game.”

Camden Catholic played better than evenly with Bergen Catholic through the final three quarters, until the Crusaders padded their margin of victory with a few late buckets.

But the first quarter was the difference, especially since the Irish were hoping to slow down the North Jersey champions with their match-up zone defense and patient offensive approach.

“To beat a great team, you have to play your best basketball, and we didn’t play our best,” Camden Catholic coach Matt Crawford said. “The effort was there, but we didn’t play our best.”

Camden Catholic, which had won 16 in a row, cut the deficit to 33-25 on Ajike’s hoop late in the first half. But Zona hit another three-pointer at the other end, and the Crusaders’ lead was 36-25 at the break.

“Hats off to them,” Corbett said. “Every time they needed a basket they seemed to make a three."

Ajike and Okafor came alive in the second half, evenly splitting 22 points. But Bergen Catholic’s lead never dipped below double digits as the Crusaders spread the floor, forcing the Irish to extend their defense and creating interior openings.

“We did all we could, but it wasn’t enough,” Ajike said.

Ajike and Okafor were starters as freshman, when Camden Catholic won just eight games. As juniors and seniors, they combined with Corbett to help the Irish to back-to-back South Jersey titles and appearances in the state finals.

“I know they are dejected walking out of here,” Crawford said of his senior leaders. “But they are champions.”

Camden Catholic 8 17 18 18 – 61

Bergen Catholic 23 13 18 24 – 78

CC: Patrick Corbett 5, Zach Hicks 8, Baba Ajike 17, Uche Okafor 12, Valen Tejada 16, Juston Hawkins 3.

BC: Jayson Earle 11, Raejon Figures 6, Matt Zona 17, Doug Edert 19, Zach Freemantle 16, Will Richardson 5, Sean Regis 2, Julian Brown 2.