This is the first game of the quarter-finals on the winners bracket side.  Both teams were impressive in their first-round wins and we hope for a tight contest.  The mano y mano dual between Bosco’s Dylan Harper and LuHi’s V.J. Edgecomb should keep everyone intrigued and entertained.

Kayden Mingo of LuHi got a steal and score on Bosco’s opening possession to open the scoring.  Harper hit one of two free throws for Bosco and then Jordan Ghee knocked in a three to give the Ironmen an early 4-2 lead.  Mingo dropped in a three to give LuHi the lead but a steal and slam by Harper and two free throws by him gave Bosco an 8-5 lead at the 4:53 mark.  At that point, LuHi went to work on both ends.  Jacob Ross put back a miss, Nigel James scored on a drive and Edgecomb threw down a dunk on the break to give LuHi an 11-8 lead with 1:38 to play.  Bosco’s scoring woes continued and Mingo scored twice in transition to give LuHi a 15-8 lead after one period of play.

Bosco continued to struggle from the field and LuHi grew its lead.  Ross scored on the break, Edgecomb hit a floater in the lane and Kiyan Anthony dropped in a three to give LuHi a 22-8 lead with 5:02 to play.  Isaiah Brown of Bosco finally stopped the bleeding with a driving score at the 3:24 mark.  In all, Bosco went scoreless for nearly nine minutes over the course of the first and second quarters.  Brown’s bucket was the start of a run for the Ironmen as Harper scored six unanswered points to bring them back to within six, 22-16, with twenty-four seconds left in the half.  Two late free throws from Dylan Mingo of LuHi made the halftime score 24-16 in favor of LuHi.

A 6-2 run by LuHi, finished off by an Edgecomb bucket, increased their lead to twelve at 30-18 less than two minutes into the third quarter.  Bosco answered with a run of their own as Keiner Asprilla scored inside, Brady Loughlin dropped in a three and Harper scored in traffic to make it a five-point game at 30-25 with just under three minutes to go.  LuHi reeled off a 5-2 run to push their lead back to eight, 35-27.  Bosco kept coming and by the end of the third period, the margin was just four with LuHi up 37-33.

Bosco drew to within two after a bucket from Brown.  LuHi then reeled off seven points in a row, four from Kayden Mingo to push their margin to nine, 44-35, with 5:41 left to go.  That type of lead would hold until 3:52 left with the score 50-41 in favor of LuHi.  Bosco then scrapped together a 7-0 run as Harper took over.  He scored on a drive, had a steal and score, then completed a three-point play.  All of a sudden with 2:04 left to play, Bosco was within a bucket, 50-48.  LuHi responded with four straight points to get the margin to six at 54-48.  That lead stayed at six until Loughlin hit a three with forty-two seconds left to cut the deficit in half to 56-53.  Forced to foul, Bosco sent LuHi to the line with twenty-two seconds left.  They missed both, giving life to Bosco.  With thirteen seconds left, Bosco got a putback dunk from Asprilla to get to within one, 56-55.  After a timeout, Bosco had to chase but finally fouled LuHi with six seconds left.  Edgecomb connected on both free throws.  A desperation three from Bosco fell short and LuHi won a tough but old-fashioned NY/NJ slugfest by the score of 58-55.

Lutheran was led by Kayden Mingo with 17 points followed by Edgecomb with 15 points and 11 points from Dylan Mingo.

For Don Bosco, Harper led all scorers with 24 points.  Loughlin added 10 points.