Marc Narducci: Fired-up Irish give Hermits an early exit

There wasn't a seat to be had a gym that sits 1,200, nor a vocal cord that was spared. One cheering section attempted to outdo the other, and the players obviously took notice.

It was playoff basketball atmosphere at its absolute best, surely caused by the one-and-done format.

And of course the action wasn't bad, either.

The Camden Catholic boys' basketball team, in the unaccustomed position of being the No. 5 seed, went into the lions' den and came out unscarred.

The visiting Irish turned a 27-25 halftime deficit into last night's 56-44 win over No. 4 seed St. Augustine in a South Jersey Non-Public A quarterfinal.

The crowd was into every basket in the first half, giving this sort of a Big 5-type atmosphere.

Things got considerably quiet in the second half when St. Augustine went through a spell of 7 minutes, 31 without scoring. Of course, credit Camden Catholic's defense, which has a way of quieting the opponents and their boisterous crowds.

And speaking of crowds, they truly have a profound effect on the youngsters. Camden Catholic's Gerry Wixted, who scored 16 points, not only enjoyed the game but took time out to appreciate the setting.

"The place was rocking 60 minutes before tap," Wixted said. "Before the tipoff, I got to take a step back and let the atmosphere soak in."

Camden Catholic coach Jim Crawford has been guiding his team for more than three decades, and he has enjoyed some tremendous battles with St. Augustine. Those encounters usually don't happen in the first playoff game for both teams, which gives an indication of the depth in Non-Public A.

Even Crawford noticed the atmosphere last night.

"You had both fan sections going back and forth, and it was two Catholic schools with a lot of respect for each other," Crawford said.

Even St. Augustine coach Paul Rodio, sad that this was the finale for his 20-6 team, appreciated the setting.

"It was electric," Rodio said. "The atmosphere was as good as any high school game you will see."

The game was very much in doubt when St. Augustine's Charlie Monaghan cut the Irish lead to 33-31 on a field goal with 3:38 left in the third quarter.

Then, the Irish scored 16 unanswered points, and that was it. The atmosphere wasn't the same, and neither were the Hermits.

Camden Catholic always seems to keep calm in frenzied settings, taking the lead from its coach.

Still, nobody expects to hold the Hermits scoreless for more than seven minutes.

"Teams everywhere go in droughts, including the NBA," said Camden Catholic guard Anthony D'Orazio, who had 18 points. "We were able to take advantage of it."

The Irish unleashed a relentless zone defense that held star sophomore Isaiah Morton to eight points on 3-for-17 shooting and 6-4 forward Bill Giberson scoreless in the second half after he had 11 first-half points.

If teams hold the two big scorers for St. Augustine down, they are likely to win.

And for their effort, the Irish get to visit top seeded Holy Spirit tomorrow.

Camden Catholic (22-5) is ranked No. 4 in South Jersey by The Inquirer; Holy Spirit is No. 2.

It will be another long bus ride for the Irish, playing in another setting in which the home team will have more fans.

Yet nobody from Camden Catholic is complaining. This is playoff basketball, during which both the competition and atmosphere are at a different level. And both should be savored regardless of anybody's rooting interest.