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By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
The third time was not a charm, and the third quarter became a nightmare for Bishop Loughlin Friday night.
The Lions failed for the third time to beat rival Christ the King, falling 80–65 in the Brooklyn-Queens boys basketball title game Friday night in Middle Village. It is Loughlin’s second straight defeat in the diocesan title game. Loughlin, which lost the first two meetings with the Royals by a combined two points, led 41–34 at the break.
But the second half — and the title — belonged to the Royals. Christ the King held the Lions to just eight points in the third quarter and built a 53–49 advantage heading into the fourth it would never relinquish. The Royals turned Loughlin misses into transition baskets just as Loughlin did in the first half, netting 19 points in the quarter to Loughlin’s eight.
“That was the difference in the basketball game.” Lions coach Ed Gonzalez said.
His team wasn’t helped by the fact that one half of its star junior backcourt was in and out of the lineup after intermission. Mike Williams cramped up with 2:18 left in the third and Christ the King finished the frame on a 5–0 run.
Williams suffered a hip pointer with 4:43 left in the game and Loughlin (19–7) trailing just 55–44. He was called for an offensive foul as he drove hard into the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Adonis Delarosa. Williams landed hard and was carried off the court. He came back with two minutes to play and the game well out of reach. Loughlin couldn’t overcome his absence.
“I tried to pick it up, but I guess it wasn’t enough” junior guard Khadeen Carrington said.
Carrington scored a team-high 20 points and Anthony Vernon had 16 points for Loughlin. Williams chipped in 13 points. Jon Severe tallied 26 points, including 12 at the free throw line for Christ the King (23-3).
The Lions offensive drought was a far cry from its performance in an 85–49 blitzing of Archbishop Molloy in the semifinals. Loughlin shot 69 percent in that contest and avenged two regular season losses to the Stanners. That didn’t carry over into the final against a Christ the King.
“We shot 69 percent against Molloy,” Carrington said. “I don’t know what we shot tonight, but it was no where near that.”
The Lions will regroup before the intersectional tournament. They will be the diocese’s No. 2 seed and could see Christ the King in the city final. Royals coach Joe Arbitello is hoping the Loughlin isn’t on the bench across from him.
“It’s going to take your best game every game to beat them,” Arbitello said. “I don’t want to see them again.”
Reach reporter Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@cnglocal.com. Follow him on twitter @cng_staszewski.