PASCACK VALLEY—It was a tough weekend for Pascack Valley sports teams. St. Joseph Regional came up just short in the Bergen County Jamboree final, falling to Oradell’s Bergen Catholic, 53-50.
Westwood also suffered a heartbreaking loss, dropping a 53-50 overtime battle to St. Mary (Rutherford) Gaels.
Meanwhile, Pascack Valley’s bowling team reached the North 1, Group 2 state final but couldn’t knock down the title.
Of the three, the Green Knights’ Jamboree showdown was the biggest stage, delivering a thrilling back-and-forth contest that went down to the final possession.
Bergen Catholic Wins 12th Jamboree Title, Edging St. Joe’s in Thriller
Friday, Feb. 21 – Bogota Savings Bank Center, Hackensack — The 68th Oscar F. Thompson Memorial Bergen County Jamboree final was a heavyweight showdown between top-seeded Bergen Catholic and No. 3 seed St. Joseph Regional.
The Crusaders came out on top, winning their 12th Jamboree championship with a 53-50 victory that extended their winning streak over St. Joe’s to 11 games.
Bergen Catholic opened the scoring and held the lead for most of the first half, but St. Joe’s stayed within striking distance. The Green Knights tightened up defensively in the second quarter, outscoring the Crusaders 12-9 to pull within one at halftime, 24-23.
Momentum shifted in the third quarter. Midway through the period, St. Joe’s reclaimed the lead after trailing at halftime, feeding off the energy in the arena. The Green Knights maintained control and entered the final eight minutes ahead 38-36, looking to pull off an upset.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to create much separation. With under 90 seconds left, Bergen Catholic reclaimed the lead for good.
Trailing by three with 10 seconds to play, St. Joe’s had a final shot to force overtime. The Green Knights got a clean look from beyond the arc, but the attempt hit the back of the rim as time expired, sealing the Crusaders’ victory.
“We had a game plan, and we stuck to it—keep them under 55 points, and we did that,” St. Joe’s head coach Dan Davis told Pascack Press. “But we had trouble on the defensive glass. That’s where they beat us.”
Standout Performances: This was a battle of talent
St. Joseph Regional:
- Senior guard Jahmir Joseph led all scorers with 20 points, adding four assists, two steals, and two three-pointers.
- Senior forward Anthony Pacciarelli contributed 11 points and eight rebounds.
Bergen Catholic:
- Senior Declain Wucherpfennig and junior Jaden Brown each scored 15 points.
- Wucherpfennig added six rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal.
- Brown chipped in two rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
- Junior Julius Avent finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
