The boys' basketball teams at St. Bernard and Montville have nothing in common.
The Saints feature a "twin tower" front line of 6-foot-8 and 6-7 starters and a collection of hardworking athletes short on quickness but long on desire. The Indians boast some of the best athletes in the state, All-State performers with speed and power.
Unfortunately for Montville coach Dave Gollsneider, these athletes made names for themselves during fall sports of football and soccer.
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These diametrically opposed units, though, produced an evenly-matched game in front of a large crowd at St. Bernard. The Saints erased a 12-point halftime deficit with a 30-point third quarter to trim the Indians, 51-49, rising to 5-5 at the season's halfway point.
Montville (1-7) used its athleticism to push the Saints around early, grabbing numerous loose balls and offensive rebounds for a 24-12 halftime lead. The Indians used Connor Leeman, an All-State soccer player, to face guard Saint point guard John Rainey in the first half, keeping the ball out of his hands, holding him to one first-half point and frustrating the Saints' ball-movement.
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"I don't think we had intensity at all in the first half, going through the motions," St. Bernard coach Tim Payne said. "In the second half, [point guard] John Rainey stepped it up and went to the basket. Even if we didn't make those shots, we had our twin towers to clean up the mess and put the ball back in.
"After a four-point first half, 6-8 Zach Pierce scored 13 of his 17 in St. Bernard's 30-point third quarter, feasting on the offensive boards. Montville's football all-stars 6-5 Rob Johnson (13 points) and 6-6 Jake Basilica (11) did a nice job, boxing him out and limiting his touches early.
Just when St. Bernard, behind Pierce and Rainey's nine points, appeared to gain control with the 30-point third to take a 42-37 lead heading into the fourth quarter, Montville's Tyler Girard-Floyd, the all-everything running back, scored his only two baskets to cut it to 42-41.
"Montville has unbelievable athletes, two of the finestathletes in the state in Girard-Floyd and Johnson," Payne said. "They are very tough to play and are competitive in every game. Unfortunately for them, it's two football players playing basketball."
Neither team could make a late run, in large part due to errant free throw shooting. Montville made just two of 14 for the game. St. Bernard made just seven of 14 in the fourth quarter. Rainey made two with 25 seconds left to make it, 50-47. Eric Riley's basket with 15 seconds left cut the gap to 50-49.
Forced to foul, Montville was called for an intentional foul with five seconds left, but Trevor Turgeon (8 points) missed both from the line. Montville got the ball back after Avery Barlow made one three throw with four seconds left. The Indians could only manage Riley's 40-foot heave which was off at the buzzer.
"Lose by two shooting two for fourteen, at Windham we lost by four shooting two for thirteen," Gollsneider said. "We have some terrific athletes who play other sports but are coming together. But it's very difficult, that kind of shooting hurts."
A win over crosstown St. Bernard could have sparked the Indians toward the second half of the season. Gollsneider still believes his collection of football and basketball stars are getting into basketball shape and will be rewarded for their efforts with more victories in the final 10 games.
"We denied Rainey the ball early and doubled Pierce and (6-7 Jared) Kobyluck, which was very effective," the coach said. "In the third, we got a little away from the game plan. Rainey had the ball in hands and found the big guys. He's a terrific point guard and runs the team well. All in all, this was a terrific game that came down to the wire. The fans got their money's worth."
