It was John S. Burke Catholic vs. Middletown, Part II on Tuesday night: A must-see Section 9 event.
And it was all BC.
Burke Catholic defeated Middletown 68-58 in a non-league showdown at the Eagles’ Nest in Goshen. The game wasn’t even that close. The Eagles led by 19 early in the fourth quarter.
Middletown has now lost five of six games – all against quality opponents. One of the stories of the night was Burke Catholic guard Patrick Joyner. A role-playe/defensive stopper last season, he scored a career-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds.
Stan Buczek aded 15 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles (6-2) and Mike Coffey, a transfer from Monroe-Woodbury, had 11.
“Patrick didn’t shock me,” Burke Catholic coach Doug Janeczko said. “The first three weeks of practice he was one of the best players, if not the best player. Then he went into a little drought and now he’s starting to get his confidence back. With a high school player, confidence is everything. Now that he’s playing you good, he’s blossoming. He’s stepping up. He was big tonight.”
Added Buczek: “Patrick played great. I was very proud of him. I would say it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played with him. He played extremely well tonight.”
Aaron Ray led Middletown (6-5) with 12 points and Darrielle Jefferson and Travis Cook added 11 apiece. Cook told the Times Herald-Record last week that he wouldn’t play against Burke Catholic due to a foot injury – sustained in last week’s loss to Kingston. Cook walked gingerly on the foot after the game.
Burke Catholic put away Middletown for the second straight year with a 14-6 run to end the third quarter, which gave the Eagles (6-2) a 57-40 lead. Up 46-34 with 2:55 remaining in the period, Stan Buczek was fouled, and Middletown coach Jim Kelly argued the call with referee Otis Cowart. Cowart hit Kelly with a technical. Buczek hit two free throws for the foul call and 1-of-2 on the technicals.
Coffey, who transferred in from Monroe-Woodbury this year, followed with a 3-pointer, scoring eight points during the fateful run.
Burke Catholic vs. Middletown showcased two of Section 9’s elite programs. The Eagles have claimed four straight Section 9 Class B titles and won the state championship two years ago. Burke Catholic is the favorite to win in Class A in March. Middletown is the defending Section 9 Class AA champion.
Burke Catholic defeated host Middletown 63-58 last season.
“I’m definitely happy, I’m proud of my team,” Buczek said. “We knew that Middletown was going to come in strong. They lost last year, so they were going to be excited and hyped.”
