DANVERS – It was senior night at St. John’s Prep (5-12) as the Eagles hosted the Central Catholic Raiders (12-4). And on a night dedicated to the seniors, the Raiders spoiled the party and won 68-51. Senior captain Michael O’Brien led the Eagles with 23 points.
The Eagles came out high-flying, opening the game on an 11-3 run. The ball movement was crisp, allowing open space for Prep to knock down four first-quarter threes.
Seniors O’Brien, Daniel Trainor (six points), Henry Azzun (three points), and junior Quinn Gregoire (eight points) all contributed with a three in the opening frame.
With seconds winding down in the quarter, Quinn Gregoire (eight points) stole the ball and found O’Brien streaking down the court for a layup to beat the buzzer. The highlight gave the Eagles an 18-14 lead heading into the second.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the script flipped and the Raiders were the ones dialed in from distance. Behind junior guard Joey Hart (30 points), the Raiders went on a 16-7 run in the second quarter. Hart made four of his team’s five threes in the quarter.
“He’s a great player,” Prep head coach David Clay said. “We lost him a few times. We tried to do a diamond-and-one on him, but he still found space to get his shot off.”
The Raiders made 13 threes in total, always making it difficult for the Eagles to mount a comeback. Central took a 32-27 lead going into halftime after a buzzer-beating layup gave the Raiders a five-point lead.
O’Brien (23 points) tried to will his team back into it, scoring eight of the Eagles’ eleven third-quarter points. That said, whenever Prep found success, it was immediately answered with a run from Central.
Coach Clay credited the Raiders’ defense.
“At times, we got stagnant. Credit to Central Catholic – they played great defense,” Clay said. “They were denying us well.”
Despite being down double-digits entering the fourth (50-38), the Eagles didn’t give up. With just over a minute remaining, O’Brien threw down a two-handed dunk to get the Eagles’ faithful on its feet.
“I’m proud of their effort. They came out and gave everything they had and that’s all I ever ask for,” Clay said. “I’m proud of them [for] doing the best they could.”
The night began with Prep’s six seniors being acknowledged before tip-off with their families. Clay spoke highly of his seniors’ “leadership.”
“Coming in, I didn’t know much about the league, the school, or the community. They welcomed me with open arms and I’ll forever be grateful to them for what they’ve done for me and the program,” Clay said.
The Eagles will travel to St. Mary’s Monday with tip-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
