The Christ the King R.H.S., Middle Village, boys basketball team won the 2013 Brooklyn/Queens CHSAA title with an 80-65 victory over Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene. The win marks the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Royals have won the sectional title.

Entering the game as the No. 1 seed, the Royals relied on a strong third quarter, in which they outscored the Lions 19-8.

Christ the King senior guard Jon Severe led all scorers with 26 pts. – 19 of which came in the second half – and he also grabbed eight rebounds in the winning effort. His contributions earned him game M.V.P. honors.

“Beating Loughlin in the championship game means a lot to us and to the program,” Severe said.

Though Severe has carried the Royals to a 23-3 overall record, it took a team effort to defeat the Lions Friday evening. Junior guard Andre Walker added 15 pts., six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while six-foot, ten-inch center Adonis Delarosa, also a junior, recorded 10 pts. and five rebounds.

“Andre (Walker) was great; he was all over the floor tonight,” said Christ the Kind head coach Joe Arbitello. “I thought Adonis Delarosa just did an incredible job.”

The game was intense from the start, with Loughlin leading 21-16 after the first quarter. But a 9-0 Christ the King run to start the second quarter put the Royals on top.

Loughlin head coach Edwin Gonzalez called a timeout after that run, and the Lions proceeded to go on a 16-5 run of their own to open a nine-point lead and led by seven at the half.

Severe and Walker began heating up in the third quarter, which helped the Royals get off to a fast start out of the break. Christ the King regained the lead at 50-49 late in the third, and from that point on, the Royals never trailed.

Loughlin got back within four to start the fourth quarter, but Christ the King went on a 10-1 run to establish a double-digit lead and ultimately won by 15.

For the No. 3 seeded Lions (20-7), junior guard Khadeen Carrington led the way with 19 pts. and nine rebounds – one rebound shy of a double-double. Junior center Anthony Vernon added 14 pts. and four rebounds.

Carrington and junior guard Michael Williams have been the Lions’ main source of offense this season, but Williams was limited to just 13 pts. after dealing with leg cramps for most of the second half. He did return, but he was not his normal self.

Christ the King has now defeated Loughlin in all three matchups this season. The two regular season games were decided each by just one-point, but the Royals clicked as a complete unit Friday evening.

“That’s what happens when you have seniors and guys that want to play hard for you,” Arbitello said. “I thought it was a great team effort by us.”

The Royals enter the upcoming CHSAA ‘AA’ Intersectional Playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Brooklyn and Queens with visions of winning the city championship and advancing to the state finals. Bishop Loughlin will be the No. 2 seed for Brooklyn and Queens.

An intersectional playoff rematch between these rivals is certainly a possibility.