Prep Basketball BOYS

Montclair Prep 66, Village Christian 57

Montclair Prep held off two furious second-half rallies to beat Village Christian, 66-57, in a long defensive battle at Montclair Prep.

The first quarter ended at 16-16 with neither team able to penetrate the other team’s defense.

The Mounties came alive in the second quarter, feeding the ball to 6-8, 270-pound Todd Bowser. He was always under the basket at the right time. Bowser had 14 points by the half to give Montclair Prep a 30-21 lead. Bowser finished with a game-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Early in the third quarter, however, the Crusaders’ passing game improved. Village Christian scored nine unanswered points to bring the score to 34-32 midway in the quarter. By the end of the third, the Mounties hung to a 40-38 lead.

Turnovers early in the fourth quarter halted Village Christian’s rally and Montclair Prep’s offense was able to penetrate and stretch the lead to 48-40 with six minutes left in the game.

The Mounties are now 2-1 in the Alpha League and 10-1 overall. Village Christian is 0-1 and 5-5.