File photo – The Crusaders beat the Panthers in a non-league game at St. Bernard’s on Saturday night.

The St. Bernard’s boy stretched their winning streak to seven straight games with what could have been their most impressive win of the season on Saturday night.

The Crusaders dominated the opening half and opened up a 13-point advantage over visiting McKinleyville on the way to a 53-47 win over the Big 5 leaders in boys basketball.

The dominating SB boys have won by an average of 26.5 points during their current winning streak.

“It was a game of two halves,” St. Bernard’s interim head coach Pat Shanahan said. “We played great the first half and controlled the game. McKinleyville made some adjustments at halftime and came back hard in the second half.”

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Mack boys, who are 3-0 in the Big 5 and 14-7 overall.

“Coach Shanahan had their guys ready to play from the jump tonight and got us on quick,” McKinleyville head coach Chris Davis said after the game. “Once again we found ourselves in an early hole and had to find a way to get back in the game.

“Unfortunately it was just too much this time around, even though I felt good about the last three quarters.

“We have to do better as a team and as a staff to ensure we’re mentally and physically ready to go from tip.”

Senior Aaiden Burris led the way for the Crusaders, who avenged a 37-34 loss to the Panthers in mid December and improved to 13-2.

Burris scored 10 points and added six rebounds and five assists, while showcasing his leadership.

“Aaiden’s leadership was huge tonight,” Shanahan said. “He picked his teammates up and helped us weather the onslaught as McKinleyville made their runs.”

Fellow senior Seth Dyer also continued to shine for the impressive Crusaders and scored a game-high 16 points to go with five rebounds.

“Seth was a force and continued to stay aggressive, even when things weren’t going his way early,” his coach said.

Rowan Cromwell added 10 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double in the win, while Liam Dyer chipped in seven points and had seven boards.

File photo – The McKinleyville Panthers

Cromwell also nailed some clutch free throws down the stretch to help preserve the advantage.

“Proud of this team and how they continue to improve,” Shanahan said. “This was a good game for both sides and will help both teams prepare for the rest of league play.”

McKinleyville senior Jordan Brown played well despite the loss and matched Seth Dyer’s game-high 16 points.

The outstanding senior also displayed his leadership and was clutch at the free throw line, where he was 8 for 8.

“Jordan Brown was a great leader tonight,” Davis said, “and continues to set the tone on both sides of the ball.”

Nick Maher had a double-double in the loss and finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Cole Armstrong chipped in eight points and also had nine rebounds.

Senior forward Carter Eichin also had a good game for the visitors.

“Carter Eichin gave us a great spark off the bench defensively and hit a clutch 3 when things were not going our way,” Davis said.

Shanahan also praised the Panthers’ performance and believes the tough matchup will benefit his players as the season goes on.

“Chris Davis’ squad plays an aggressive brand of basketball,” the Crusaders coach said. “It was a learning experience for our boys on many levels and will hopefully benefit us down the road.”

The game was the third in three days for the Crusaders, who will continue a busy stretch when they play at Sonoma Academy on Monday.

The Panthers will try to bounce back back when they return to conference play with a pivotal showdown at Eureka on Tuesday night.