By John Knebels • Posted February 9, 2018

Catholic League boys’ basketball has arrived at the home stretch. Drama is everywhere.

A first-place tie could still give way to a three-team — or conceivably a four-team — race for the regular-season title. Four of the eight teams that will make the playoffs have clinched a spot. Of the league’s 14 squads, an uncommon 13 remain alive for a postseason bid.

Below are the standings and the games that remain for each team, and then a summary of pertinent facts.

Catholic League Boys’ Basketball

(through Feb. 9)

Record   Team   (Games remaining against)

10-1 — Bonner-Prendergast (Archbishop Carroll and Cardinal O’Hara)
10-1 — Neumann-Goretti (SJ Prep, West Catholic)
9-2 — Roman Catholic (Archbishop Wood, SJ Prep)
8-2 — Archbishop Carroll (Archbishop Wood, Bonner-Prendie, Conwell-Egan)
7-3 — Archbishop Wood (Archbishop Carroll, Roman, Lansdale Catholic)
7-4 — St. Joseph’s Prep (Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic)
6-5 — La Salle (Father Judge, Archbishop Ryan)
5-6 — Archbishop Ryan (Conwell-Egan, La Salle)
4-7 — Cardinal O’Hara (Lansdale Catholic, Bonner-Prendie)
3-8 — West Catholic (Bishop McDevitt, Neumann-Goretti)
2-9 — Lansdale Catholic (Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Wood)
2-9 — Bishop McDevitt (West Catholic, Father Judge)
2-9 — Conwell-Egan (Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Carroll)
1-10 — Father Judge (La Salle, Bishop McDevitt)

***

After the regular season, the first six teams will clinch a spot in the quarterfinals. To figure out the remaining two spots, a doubleheader will necessitate seventh place hosting 10th place, and eighth place hosting ninth place. Those two winners will become the seventh and eighth quarterfinalists.

Bonner-Prendergast, Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic, and Archbishop Carroll have clinched a playoff. Father Judge is the only team that has been eliminated from postseason contention.

 

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Bonner-Prendergast would win the regular-season title in a tie with Neumann-Goretti because of its 73-70 win over the Saints on Jan. 28.

It’s still conceivable that Bonner-Prendergast, Neumann-Goretti, Roman Catholic and Archbishop Carroll could all finish with the same record. If that should occur, composite head-to-head records would systematically break down places one through four.

***

Meanwhile, the regular season of Catholic League girls’ basketball is already finished. Neumann-Goretti finished with a perfect 12-0 record. The Saints, along with Archbishop Wood, Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Carroll, Bonner-Prendergast and Archbishop Ryan, await the winners of the pre-quarterfinal contests.

On Feb. 13, 10th-seed Bishop McDevitt will visit seventh-seed Lansdale Catholic, while ninth-seed St. Hubert will visit eighth-seed West Catholic. Two nights later, the quarterfinals will begin.

Below are the final regular-season standings.

Catholic League Girls’ Basketball

(through Feb. 9)

Record   Team

12-0 — Neumann-Goretti
11-1 — Archbishop Wood
10-2 — Cardinal O’Hara
9-3 — Archbishop Carroll
8-4 — Bonner-Prendergast
7-5 — Archbishop Ryan
6-6 — Lansdale Catholic
5-7 — West Catholic
4-8 — St. Hubert
3-9 — Bishop McDevitt
2-10 — Conwell-Egan
1-11 — Little Flower
0-12 — John W. Hallahan