TCA outlasts Trenton to win record-setting seventh title
TRENTON >> When the Trenton Catholic Academy boys basketball team came up one point short in last year’s Mercer County Tournament final, Khalif Battle personally accepted the responsibility of leading the Iron Mikes back to the top of the mountain.
The 6-foot-4 senior guard lived up to his word and collected two pieces of hardware as TCA captured a record-setting seventh title by outlasting top-seeded Trenton in this year’s championship game Thursday night at CURE Insurance Arena, 62-57.
After dropping 25 points to finish with 123 points in four games, Battle hoisted the Tournament MVP plaque along with the county championship trophy in an on-court mob with teammates.
“It means a lot because of the fact that personally I feel like I’m doubted in the state, my team feels like they’re doubted in the state,” said Battle, who will play college basketball at Butler University. “So for us to come here and win this, it means a lot to the school, it means a lot to me.”
Both programs came into the game tied with six titles all-time. The higher seed had won the first 14 tournament contests, but TCA was the favorite because of its Division I talent and the fact that the Iron Mikes overcame a slow start to the season, winning 12 of their last 14 games.
Early on, TCA also had to mentally transition when longtime coach Fred Falchi abruptly retired for health reasons and Eric Elliott stepped in. Players were also affected by the passing of school president Sister Dorothy Payne on Feb. 3.
“We battled. It’s been that way all year,” Elliott said. “A lot of adversity, a lot of challenges. There were some days we couldn’t practice where it didn’t look so good, but we stayed the course, we stuck together. That the biggest thing — just do it together. We’re brothers. We’re a family.”
A rivalry matchup in the county final was no exception. TCA shot 3-for-15 from the field in the first quarter and trailed, 16-9, entering the second quarter. The Iron Mikes then shot 10-for16 over the next eight minutes to carry a five-point lead into halftime.
Battle buried two quick 3-pointers and EJ Evans scooped in the go-ahead layup during a 14-3 run.
Both teams played tenacious man-to-man defense, challenging drives into the lane and blocking shots. Jamir Watkins, Naji Wright, Jean Bernard and Donavin Crawford anchored TCA’s interior defense, which made timely plays in the second half.
Physicality plagued both teams as Watkins and Jordan Williams, Trenton’s leading scorer and rebounder this season, coped with foul trouble.
“They were a hard-fought team,” Battle said. “I give Trenton a lot of props. I didn’t think they were going out as good as they did. I didn’t know they were going to come out with such a good game plan. They have some good players and I’m Trenton Catholic’s Jamir Watkins, center, leaps in the air to make a shot against Trenton during the MCT final at Cure Insurance Arena on Thursday night.
happy to say that I played them, but I’m also happy to say that we won.”
The 6-foot-7 Watkins netted 15 points despite sitting on the bench for much of the game because he had three fouls in the first half. Battle shouldered the load offensively during that time.
“They can score the ball tremendously, so we were just trying to get them touches and ride with them,” Elliott said. “Unfortunately Jamir got in some foul trouble and ended up fouling out, so it was a great team win — our guys pulling together and pulling a tough one out.”
Nassir Hodge made four 3-pointers and scored 22 points to pace Trenton. The Tornadoes tied the game at 47 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter on a Hodge make from beyond the arc.
The 6-foot-1 senior converted another trey with
1:26 remaining to pull Trenton within 55-58. In the final 30 seconds down three, the Tornadoes nearly gave themselves a chance to tie by briefly coming up with a steal. But Battle grabbed the ball back and floated in a layup for the final margin.
TCA hosts Holy Cross Prep in the Non-Public B South Tournament next Wednesday, while Trenton is the top seed in the Central Jersey Group IV bracket starting Monday.
“It’s just the beginning,” Battle said. “I feel like we can make a run down in states, and I’m happy to see where this goes.”
TRENTON CATHOLIC (62)
Battle 9-4-25, Watkins 6-3-15, Evans 5-111, Bernard 1-0-2, Jones 2-2-6, Crawford 1-1-3.
Totals — 24-11-62.
TRENTON (57)
Hodge 9-0-22, Williams 3-4-10, Garita 4-1-9, Davis 1-0-2, Kelly 1-1-4, Turner 2-1-6.
Totals — 20-7-57.
TCA (14-9) 9 24 17 12 — 62 Trenton (21-5) 16 12 19 10 — 57 3-point goals: Battle 3 (TCA), Hodge 4, Phillips, Turner (T).