Make that 22 straight ECC wins for Saints

Groton — No other team in Connecticut has played a tougher boys' basketball schedule this season than St. Bernard, who in addition to playing No. 1 East Catholic twice, loaded the slate with fellow top 10 schools No. 4 Windsor, No. 5 Ridgefield and Malden Catholic of Massachusetts.

And the Saints have hit the occasional obstacle, perhaps making it easier to miss the swath they've cut through the Eastern Connecticut Conference. St. Bernard rode a 21-game ECC win streak into Friday's showdown at Fitch, last losing to an ECC school on Feb. 25, 2022, to Waterford in the conference tournament semifinals.

The 22nd straight win came Friday night before an in-full-throat crowd of 1,100 at Fitch. St. Bernard stayed atop Division I of the ECC with an 8266 win over the Falcons. St. Bernard (12-2, 5-0) led by two at halftime, but blitzed Fitch (9-5, 3-3) for most of the second half.

“We're a really good team when we don't turn it over,” St. Bernard coach Mark Jones said.

Jones made it a point at halftime to remind his team to take better control of the ball and to guard Fitch's JJ Robinson significantly harder. Robinson, who finished with a team-high 24 for Fitch, had 15 of them in the first half.

Naz Rembert led St. Bernard with 24 points, including a dagger three-pointer with 3:30 remaining to give his team a 70-51 lead. Curtis Marshall had 21 points and 15 rebounds.

“Very hard place to play. Their crowd was loud,” Marshall said. “But I felt like being physical made an impact. They couldn't stop me in there. I just tried to stay with it and go ‘next play, next play.'”

Amyre Gray had 14 points for the Saints and Tyler Mangual had 13.

“No selfish play from our guys,” Jones said. “If we have a good shot, they pass it up for a great shot.”

Xavier Goode added 15 for the Falcons, who have lost three straight. Fitch played without starting center Jacob Francis (foot injury), while St. Bernard was minus starting center Amare Marshall (personal issue). Still, the Saints won the rebounding battle.

“Our big guys really aren't big guys. They're just tall,” Jones said. “They can be guards, too. With two very special freshmen (Marshall and Troy McKelvin Jr.).”