IN THE CLUTCH

St. Bernard boys show their toughness yet again, come from behind to beat Ridgefield in semis

West Hartford If nothing else, this was the night to ponder the walls of the home gym. Specifically: If there are any state championship banners hanging in them. This was the game to reiterate the need to perhaps genuflect before them in honor of how difficult they are to capture.

Example: the plight of St. Bernard in Wednesday's CIAC Division I state semifinal. The

Saints, who in the previous six days barely squeezed past athletically gifted Crosby and Kolbe Cathedral, had one day to prepare for a drastically different style: precise, methodical Ridgefield, a perennial FCIAC and state title contender.

And this: Another hour-long bus ride to play a team with but one loss during the regular season. Ridgefield's one loss? At St. Bernard in December.

In the end, the Saints did what they've done all season: tough circumstances be damned. And this excellent season rolls on, following a 48-45 win at the University of Hartford's Chase Family Arena. St. Bernard will play undefeated and top-seeded Notre Dame of West Haven in the finals.

It was the most physical game of the season for St. Bernard, which could have been measured by first downs as much as points.

Amyre Gray led the Saints with 22 points and Curtis Marshall had 10.

St. Bernard trailed 41-34 midway through the fourth period before rallying

St. Bernard Ridgefield

late.

It's hard to fathom how St. Bernard coach Mark Jones could have prepared his team better for what they encountered. St. Bernard (23-3) played perhaps the state's toughest schedule, including East Catholic twice, Ridgefield, Malden (Ma.) Catholic and Northwest Catholic in the regular season on top of Crosby and Kolbe in the playoffs.

The Saints who were still in single digits late into the second period, still trailed only 25-18 at halftime. Gray scored 12 of St. Bernard's 18 points, including a late three-pointer that cut the lead to seven.

Six different players scored for Ridgefield in the first period. The Tigers led 16-8 and by as many as 12 in the half.

SARAH GORDON/THE DAY St. Bernard’s Amyre Gray, right, throws a pass past Ridgefield’s Andrew Griffin in the semifinals of the Division I boys’ basketball state tournament Wednesday night at the University of Hartford’s Chase Arena. The Saints came from behind to beat Ridgefield 48-45.

SARAH GORDON/THE DAY St. Bernard’s Troy McKelvin Jr., right, fights Ridgefield’s Peter Szpakowski for a ball in the semifinals of the DI boys’ basketball state tournament Wednesday.