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GMC Hoops Summaries--March 5, 2010
Week Eleven--Non-Public A South State Tourney

Huge Second Half By Vasturia Lifts Bishop Eustace Past Ahr, 49-45

By Greg Machos
March 5, 2010

NORTH EDISON, NJ--For the eighth straight season, the Bishop Ahr Trojans exited the Non-Public A South State Tournament in its first game. The third seeded Trojans, which have hosted their playoff games four out of the last five years, fell to sixth seeded Bishop Eustace of Pennsauken in the Quarterfinals by the score of 49-45. BGA trailed 6-3 early on, but went on a 10-0 spurt to finish the first quarter with a 13-6 lead. However, from that point on until the end of the game, Ahr was outscored by a margin of 43-32. The Crusaders were led by Pat Vasturia, who scored all of his game high 20 points in the second half. Vasturia, who scored a team high 15 points the last time GMC Hoops saw Eustace in action against Cardinal McCarrick two years ago in the 2008 Non-Public B South State Tourney, connected on 5 of 9 shots over the final two periods including four threes while making all six of his free throw attempts.

Vasturia also collected seven rebounds, an assist, block, and a charge. Chipping in was guard, Carson Puriefoy, who made 4 of 8 shots including one of two from three while netting 4 of 6 from the line for 13 points. Puriefoy also picked up 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. For the Trojans, senior guard, Matt Bernocchi led the way by going 5 of 10 overall from the floor including 5 of 9 from three point range for a team high 15 points along with two steals, and a block. Junior forward, Pat Widdoss made two threes, two field goals, and a foul shot for 11 points while collecting five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. For the game, Bishop Eustace, which competes in the Olympic Conference's National Division, made 13 of 43 shots overall for just 30 percent including 5 of 13 from three point land for 38 percent. Meanwhile, Ahr fared just a little bit better by going 16 of 45 overall for 36 percent including 7 of 15 from beyond the arc for 47 percent.

The difference, however, was at the foul line. The Crusaders, which lost two of their four games this season to top seeded Camden Catholic by a combined total of ten points, made 18 of 26 at the charity stripe for 69 percent while Ahr was only 7 of 13 for 54 percent. In other statistical departments, turnovers were even at 13-13 as well as total rebounds (27-27). BGA had a slight edge in offensive boards (11-9), and had advantages in assists (11-8), steals (7-6), and blocks (9-4). Eustace, which didn't qualify for the state tournament last season, had the edge in charges (1-0). After being outscored by seven in the first period, the Crusaders won each of the final three periods. The second by four, the third by six, and the fourth by one. Bishop Eustace got on the board first with a layup by Puriefoy off an assist by Bobby Falconiero (3 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal) at the 6:53 mark. Darius Griffin (4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal) then tied the game at 2-2 when he got a layup off a steal at the 6:26 mark. Manny Kroggmann (7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, and 2 steals) then gave Ahr a 3-2 lead when he grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul, and made one of two from the line at the 5:48 mark.

Dexter Harris (FG and 4 of 6 FTs for 6 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and a block) scored the next four points of the game to give the Crusaders a 6-3 lead. First, Harris netted a pair from the foul line for a 4-3 lead. Then, the forward swiped a steal and went in for a layup and a three point edge. Bishop Ahr, then put together perhaps its best stretch of basketball in the game. The Trojans scored ten unanswered points to end the first quarter for a seven point lead. BGA got a score to pull within one at 6-5 before Bernocchi netted a three from the top of the key off a kickout by Kroggmann at the 3:50 mark for an 8-6 lead. The Ahr senior then made another trey from just about the exact same spot off a kickout by Widdoss for an 8-0 run and 11-6 lead at the 2:39 mark. Kroggmann then connected on a bank shot off an inbounds by Widdoss for a 13-6 lead as Bishop Eustace's fourth year head coach, Bob Falconiero called a 30 second timeout with 1:23 to play in the quarter. Neither team would score the rest of the way as Ahr maintained its seven point lead after one. Already in the game, there had been three lead changes and a tie.

The game would swing back and forth a few more times before this one was over. At the finish, there was a total of ten lead changes and four ties. Neither team had a lead bigger than seven points. Puriefoy got the Crusaders going at the start of the second with a three pointer from the right wing off an assist by Bobby Falconiero to close the gap to four at 13-9 with 6:33 to go in the half. Will Clements (5 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, steal, and block) netted two free throws at the 6:14 mark for a 13-11 Ahr lead, and the Clements struck again with a steal and assist on a layup by Sho DaSilva to tie the game at 13-13. The Trojans went back out in front though at 15-13 on a Kenny Virden (4 points and a steal) jumper off an inbounds pass by Roger Kilgore (2 points, 3 rebounds, and an assist) at the 4:21 mark. Widdoss then hit a jumper for a 17-13 lead before Harris got his final points of the half on a one of two showing from the line at the 2:32 mark. Both teams then closed out the half by trading one of two showings from the line as Rashad Kilgore netted one of two at the 2:21 mark, and Puriefoy made one of two at the 21.3 second mark for an 18-15 Bishop Ahr lead at the half.

Puriefoy led the Crusaders at the break with six points and two rebounds while Harris chipped in with five points, three rebounds, a steal, and a block. Bernocchi paced Ahr with his two threes for 6 points along with two steals and a block. Kroggmann chipped in with 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and an assist while Justin Peoples only had two points, but pulled down four boards. At the intermission, Bishop Eustace was just 4 of 23 from the floor for 17 percent while the BGA was 7 of 21 for 33 percent. The Trojans had the edge in threes by going two of four from long distance while Eustace was just one of six. The Crusaders managed to stay in the ball game though by making six of eight from the charity stripe while Ahr was just two of four. Both teams had their share of turnovers with Bishop Ahr having a slight edge (9-10). Rebounds were almost just as even with Ahr getting the slight edge (14-13) although Eustace had more offensive boards (5-3). The Trojans had advantages in assists (5-3), steals (6-4), and blocks (6-4) while neither team drew a charge in the first half.

Enter Pat Vasturia. The Bishop Eustace player, who was limited to 0 of 6 from the floor in the first half, came alive in the second half to fire his team to victory. Vasturia got going with a layup from the left side while Griffin scored for Ahr during a stretch where both teams exchanged two scores for a 22-19 Trojans lead at the 5:03 mark. Widdoss then connected on a three pointer for a 25-19 lead before Puriefoy sparked a 12-3 spurt for Eustace with a layup. Harris continued the run with one of two showing from the line at the 3:33 mark for a 25-22 Ahr lead. Following a one of two showing from the line by Virden at the 2:55 mark for a 26-22 BGA edge, the Crusaders scored five unanswered points including a three by Vasturia, who was just warming up. Now trailing, 27-26, the Trojans went back ahead on a layin by Roger Kilgore off a side out of bounds play set up by Widdoss, but DaSilva tied it up with a one of two showing from the line for a 28-28 tie with 1:02 left in the third. Vasturia then hit his second three of the game to give Bishop Eustace a 31-28 lead heading into the fourth.

Vasturia opened up the fourth with his third three of the game for a 34-28 lead before Kroggmann stepped to the line, and made two foul shots for a 34-30 score with just inside seven minutes to play. Widdoss then connected on a three pointer at the 6:03 mark for a 34-33 Eustace lead. Following a 30 second timeout by the Trojans with 5:32 left, Kroggmann kicked out to Bernocchi on the right wing for a three, and a 36-34 Ahr edge with 5:16 to go. Clements made one of two from the line at the 4:53 mark to pull the visitors within one at 36-35, and then Puriefoy swiped a steal for a layup, and a 37-36 lead at the 4:30 mark. A little more than a minute later, Widdoss scored a basket and drew a foul, but missed the bonus free throw for a tenuous 38-37 lead with 3:22 remaining. Less than a minute later, Bishop Eustace took the lead for good at 40-38 as Vasturia connected on his fourth and final three of the game on a shot from the left wing with 2:29 to go. Vasturia then made two free throws from the line at the 1:15 mark for a 42-38 lead. Eustace was 10 of 12 from the line in the fourth quarter including 9 of 10 over the final 1:15 for the win.

Widdoss had a chance to pull the Trojans within two again, but only went one of two at the charity stripe for a 42-39 Eustace lead with 49.4 seconds to play. Following a thirty second timeout by the Crusaders, Puriefoy netted two free throws for a 44-39 lead with 31 seconds left, and Vasturia netted another pair at the 15.1 second mark for a 46-39 edge. Bernocchi gave the Trojan faithful some hope with a three from the right wing at the nine second mark for a 46-42 Crusaders lead, and after Puriefoy made one of two from the line at the 8.4 second mark, Bernocchi struck again for three off an assist by Griffin for a 47-45 score with 2.3 seconds left on the clock. However, Vasturia sealed the win with two more from the foul line for a 49-45 final score. With the victory, Bishop Eustace improved to 21-4 on the season while Bishop Ahr finished its year at 16-4. The Crusaders advance to play St. Augustine's Prep of Richland in Atlantic County, which defeated Monsignor Donovan in another quarterfinal. Analysis will be forthcoming in the blog.

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