Senior Alex Ante, left, and junior Anthony Gonzalez.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep basketball team ended a great season.
The second-seeded Pirates lost to top-seeded Bergen Catholic 67-57 in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Non-Public “A” state tournament on March 9 at Franklin High School in Somerset.
The Pirates trailed the whole game before a roaring 16-4 comeback to take a 52-50 lead when junior Anthony Gonzalez hit a three-pointer from the left corner with 6:29 left in the fourth quarter. But the Crusaders came back to outscore the Pirates 17-5 to close out the game. Gonzalez finished with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while sophomore Infinite Sincere-Amen Ra led the team in scoring with 22 points. Senior Alex Ante had six rebounds and five assists, while senior Daniel Beazer had six rebounds and three assists, and junior Avery George had four rebounds and three assists.
The Pirates completed the season with a 20-7 record. It was their second straight 20-win season under head coach Sterling Gibbs.
After the game, Gibbs said, “We have a lot of talent and great senior leadership. We found a way to get ourselves back in the game, but as all good teams, Bergen Catholic made their run and did it in a timely fashion. We have come a long way and I am so proud of every single one of the players and they should be proud of the way they played tonight, as well as the whole season. There is no reason for them to hang their heads tonight.”
In their previous game, the Pirates hosted sixth-seeded Don Bosco Prep in the semifinals at Frank J. Tracey Gymnasium in West Orange on March 5. The Pirates defeated the Ironmen 53-47 for their ninth consecutive victory. Sincere-Amen Ra scored 19 points and Gonzalez scored 17 points with three rebounds and five assists. Ante and Beazer each scored six points. Beazer also pulled down eight rebounds and Ante had six rebounds.
After the game, Gibbs said, “It was a great game. Don Bosco battled and were a very well coached team. I am glad that we were able to come out on top tonight. Our guys competed at a very high level and showed why we deserve to be fighting for a state title.” The last time that the Pirates reached the North, Non-Public “A” state final was 2016, losing to Don Bosco Prep 73-53. The last Pirate victory in the North state final was 2012 when they defeated DePaul 67-59.
This season, the Pirates won their 21st Essex County Tournament title, including their second straight ECT title and fourth in the last five years. Eight players return to next year’s team and three of them are starters, so the future looks very bright for the 2026-27 Pirates.
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