City of Basketball Love

Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Back in late December, Bonner-Prendergast was on the wrong side of a thriller.

In their last game before the new year, the Friars lost to Plymouth Whitemarsh in double overtime, even after Tariq Ingraham twice extended the game at the buzzer.

Bonner let PW guard Ish Horn slip down court for a fastbreak dunk to seal the game in the final seconds of the second overtime.

It was a growing moment.

“We learned from that experience,” senior forward Ajiri Johnson said. “Close games like that we gotta communicate more. That’s when you gotta talk more.”

To start Philadelphia Catholic League play, the Friars have already been on the other side of two tightly contested contests.

Johnson’s putback dunk at the buzzer gave Bonner a two-point victory against St. Joseph’s Prep last weekend. On Friday at the Community College of Philadelphia, the Friars stayed unbeaten in Catholic League play with a 68-64 victory against Roman Catholic.

“It just comes down to who wants it more, who has the heart to finish,” Johnson said. “That’s what it is. We made a couple good plays at the end and came out with the win.”

The bleachers weren’t filled to brim, but a large crowd was on hand for Friday’s PCL showdown and the event did not disappoint. The largest lead of the game was a seven-point Bonner advantage in the first quarter.

Led by nine points from sophomore guard Lynn Greer III, who finished the game with a team-high 20 points, Roman came back to take a 28-22 lead at halftime, but neither team led by more than four in the second half. The Friars were unhappy with 11 turnovers before the break.

“First quarter, second quarter, we need to stop getting in a slump,” Bonner junior guard Isaiah Wong said. “We just need to get ready. We just need to start in warm-ups get a sweat, which I don’t think we’ve been doing. Once we do that we’ll come stronger first and second quarter and it doesn’t have to be this close.”

Wong, who scored a game-high 23 points, started the third quarter on a personal 8-0 run to give the Friars’ back the lead less than two minutes into the second half, and the game was back-and-forth the rest of the way.

The third quarter featured four lead changes before Johnson’s putback dunk tied the game, 40-40, heading into the fourth. He had 13 of his 15 points after the first half. Bonner had a four-point lead in the fourth, but a three by Roman junior guard Seth Lundy tied the game at 56-56 with just more than a minute left.

After getting a defensive stop, Roman chewed to the clock and had a chance to win the game. The Cahillites got a good look, but it went off the back of the rim and the game went to overtime. Bonner sophomore guard Donovan Rodriguez, who had five overtime points, put the Friars up 61-58 with a free throw at the 1:54 mark in OT, and Roman never closed the gap.

In just his second year coaching in the league, Roman coach Matt Griffin said he has already coached in plenty of close contests. Just last week, the Cahillites lost to Neumann-Goretti, 56-54, in a one possession contest.

Friday’s loss dropped Roman to 2-2 in league games thus far. Griffin said the little things decide games like Friday’s contest. His senior leader shared similar sentiments.

“Toughness,” Roman senior Allen Betrand said of the difference between the two teams Friday. “They did the little stuff to win the game, and we didn’t. It’s all about the 50-50 balls, rebounding, toughness.”

Bonner is one of just two undefeated teams left in PCL play, along with Neumann-Goretti. The Friars take on West Catholic on Sunday, while Roman looks to get back on track against Archbishop Ryan on Monday.