File photo/Taunya Caldwell Brunton

The St. Bernard’s Crusaders were tested late in Saturday’s non-conference road game against a resilient Trinity team, but held on down the stretch to come away with a 60-48 win.

With the victory, which was their 12th straight, the St. Bernard’s boys improved to 14-1 on the season.

Carson Costa had a big afternoon for the Crusaders as he continues his impressive senior season, posting a double-double.

Costa led the visitors with 24 points and also pulled down 12 rebounds.

“Carson got it going offensively early,” St. Bernard’s head coach Pat Shanahan said. “Just an incredible effort on his part the entire game.”

The Crusaders led by as many as 20 points at one stage, but the home team never relented and continued to challenge the SB players all the way to the final buzzer.

“Those kids did not back down,” Shanahan said. “Our squad did well when they made a run in the fourth quarter to hold our composure and stay strong on the ball.

“The road crowd was getting after it as well late, putting pressure on us to stay focused. Just a great experience for our squad.” 

Liam Dyer had another strong all-around game for the Little 4 school, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks, while Prince Latimer added nine points and three assists, while also coming away with three steals.

Defensively, Tyler Hinrichs epitomized his team’s hustle with seven steals.

“Prince handled some intense ball pressure well. His confidence when he has the ball is special,” Shanahan added. “Liam was aggressive and made the right play at the right time.

“Tyler is a solid defender and it showed tonight. He also did a nice job securing loose balls.”

The always impressive Garrett Shanahan also played a key role in the win, as he has been doing all winter.

The junior standout had a strong all-around game and finished with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks.

“Garrett played strong defense on one of their better players and kept his head up looking for the open man,” Pat Shanahan said. “Glad to get the win tonight and see our guys look to each other for support down the stretch.”