Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Seth Dyer in action for the Crusaders against Marin Academy in Tuesday night’s NCS playoff game.

By Ray Hamill — A memorable season for the St. Bernard’s boys basketball team ended with an upset loss to visiting Marin Academy in the opening round of the North Coast Section playoffs on Tuesday night.

The Crusaders, who were seeded No. 3 in Division 5, fell 80-73 to the No. 14 Wildcats.

The long drive didn’t appear to bother the visitors, who took a 20-13 lead in the opening quarter and shot the ball extremely well all game.

The Wildcats hit 11 3-pointers.

“Marin Academy shot the ball really well,” St. Bernard’s coach Pat Shanahan said. “We scored enough points to win but couldn’t string enough stops together.”

Aaiden Burris scored a team-high 28 points for the Crusaders, including four 3-pointers, while teammate Seth Dyer added 21 points, including 16 in the second half.

The Crusaders trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter and saw the deficit widen to as many as 15 midway through the final period.

The home team, however, would make a late run and cut the deficit to four with 16 seconds remaining after a Burris 3.

But that was as close as they would get and the sure-shooting Wildcats would not be caught.

Garrett Shanahan added 11 points for SB, while Liam Dyer finished with seven points and Rowan Cromwell chipped in six points.

“We did not give up,” Pat Shanahan said. “Proud of this team and especially the four seniors. Their leadership carried us this year and also tonight as we were down and fought back … but a couple of timely buckets on their end just shut down our momentum.,”

The four seniors who were playing their final game for the Crusaders include Burris, Seth Dyer, Cromwell and Zacch Bowen.

Despite the disappointment of the opening-round loss, it was a very successful season for the Crusaders, who won the Little 4 championship and made it to the final of last week’s Dick Niclai tournament.

The Crusaders lost just four times in games played, including back-to-back defeats to finish up, and they closed out with a record of 21-4.

“What a phenomenal group of young men,” Pat Shanahan said. “Our coaching staff is proud to have coached this group.”