Sometimes, it’s just not your night.

That’s how Coach Tim Philp and his Iona Preparatory School Gaels may have felt in the third quarter of their Tuesday night semi-final game against the St. Raymond’s School for Boys’ Ravens. 

The two teams returned to Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, which is hosting this year’s archdiocesan boys “AA” basketball playoffs, after advancing from the first round on Sunday.

St. Ray’s 30-20 halftime lead didn’t seem insurmountable, but that margin was the result of a suffocating first-half defensive effort from the Bronx team. When the Ravens opened the second half with a 12-0 run, it was clear what the ultimate result would be. Starters for both teams were off the floor by early in the fourth quarter, and the game ended 73-38. 

Although seniors Brandon Stores Jr. and Tai Turnage remained the Ravens’ top scorers, contributions from juniors Ibrahima Camara and Luis Carillo-Moss, brought the offense to life. St. Ray’s, the archdiocese’s defending champion, will get a shot at a second consecutive title in Saturday’s final. For a team that underachieved all season long, St. Ray’s picked the right moment to live up to its potential.

Archbishop Stepinac vs. Cardinal Hayes

Despite a demonstration of grit and a display of future talent, Cardinal Hayes was no match for Archbishop Stepinac in the second game of Tuesday night’s doubleheader.

Hayes’ relatively young team showed promise throughout, led by junior David Gaymon and freshman Bryce Yancey, giving the Grand Concourse school a lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Stepinac proved too tall and too good, with junior Adonis Ratliff grabbing 13 rebounds on the way to a 77-62 victory. Jasiah Jervis led the winners with 19 points.

Stepinac’s win put them into the final, with a shot at a trophy that eluded them during All-American Boogie Fland’s last two years in White Plains. Saturday’s showdown tips off at 1 p.m., again at Mount Saint Michael Academy.