Here are highlights from the action in the contest between 6th seeded Mater Dei and 2nd seeded Gill St. Bernard’s in the 2016 Non-Public B South Semifinals. In a game that matched-up teams with former players from the Greater Middlesex Conference, sixth seeded Mater Dei of Middletown, which knocked off third seeded Trenton Catholic in the quarterfinal round, visited second seeded Gill in Northern Somerset County on Saturday night. Mater Dei consisted of players such as Nyquan McCombs, Elijah Mitchell, Josh Green, and Bryan Harris, which played at the now closed Cardinal McCarrick last season for the current coach at Mater Dei, Ben Gamble. Meanwhile, Connor Klementowicz, a former player at St. Joseph’s, is now in the roster at Gill.
Mater Dei jumped out to a 9-0 lead after hitting three treys. However, the Knights responded by ending the period on a 9-3 run capped by a three from Klementowicz to trail 12-9 entering the second. Klementowicz then added a layup to give Gill a 20-19 lead midway through the second, but Mater Dei retook the lead at 23-20 on a four point play by Harris, who was fouled on a made three pointer at the 2:44 mark. Gill scored 6 of the next 7 points to reclaim the lead at 26-24 late in the second, but Mitchell sank a three from the left side to give the Seraphs a 27-26 advantage at the intermission.
The game continued to go back and forth with Gill wrestling the lead back at 37-35 in a trey at the 3:44 mark. The Knights then scored 8 of the last 13 points of the period including another trey by Jake Betlow for a 45-40 lead heading into the fourth. However, Mater Dei rallied back to retake the lead at 51-49 with a an 11-4 tear capped by a three pointer from Central Regional transfer, Elijah Barnes off a kickout by McCombs at the 3:42 mark. Betlow was later fouled on a three point play and made one of three from the foul line to narrow the deficit to 51-50 with about two minutes to play. Mater Dei held on to that lead until Gill scored twice in the final 1:13 including two free throws by Paul Mulcahy and a layup by Julius Stoma off a dish by Adam Mitola with 17.5 seconds remaining for a 54-51 lead.
Mater Dei had a chance to score in the closing seconds, but a three pointer from the right side was off the mark, and GIll got the rebound and hung on for the 54-51 victory. Seven of the eight players that got into the game for Gill scored including Betlow with 14 points. Stoma added 9 points while Klementowicz and Mulchay each chipped in with 8. Kyle Elliot led Mater Dei in a losing cause with 12 points while Elijah Mitchell and Kenneth Jones added 8 and Bryan Harris chipped in with 7.
Gill, which defeated Somerville for the Somerset County Tournament title, improved to 25-4 on the season and advanced to the Non-Public B South Championship to face Roselle Catholic on Tuesday night at 7:00 PM at Jackson LIberty High School. Mater Dei, which defeated CBA for the Shore Conference Tournament Championship, concluded its season at 26-2.