Boston College High School’s top-ranked basketball team won the Division 1 state championship on Sunday, using its speedy and unrelenting offensive prowess to roll past a plucky No. 2-ranked Newton North team, 71-59, at the Tsongas Center in Lowell.

Center Will Doyle dunked home a bucket with authority to help BC High complete its undefeated season with a title win on Sunday night. John Gillooly ’89 photo/ BCH

As was the case throughout a perfect season, team play, headed by senior guard Mike Loughnane and his 16 points – he posted a 27 ppg average for the year – carried the day in the ultimate win for the 25-0 Eagles. With Greg Cooper (14 points), Mahari Guerrier (12 points, and a tough 9 rebounds), and added punch off the bench from Ryan Dear and Connor Strickland, Newton North (21-4) struggled to make any significant headway against the squad from Dorchester, though there were spurts of positivity – they were down 35-18 at the half, but had cut the margin to under 10 late in the third quarter when Loughnane, Cooper, Guerrier & Co. regained momentum. It was mostly a Run for the Roses after that.

BC High’s Ryan Dear, left, drives to the hoop to score two of his 10 points in the second half of the Eagles’ 71-59 victory over Newton North on Sunday at Tsongas Arena in Lowell.

After the trophy was in his team’s hands, Loughnane told the Globe that he “didn’t expect the team to go undefeated, but it was something we didn’t worry about. Greg and Mahari were so good offensively. The four guys I started with were as good defenders as you’ll find anywhere This was such a talented team.” His dad Bill, the team’s coach, seconded the motion, saying, “We were never not ready to play.”

Eagles on the ice: Close, but no cigar
Backed again by amazing defense in front of the net by Jack Burke – yet another shutout bid that went 59 minutes into the game – the BC High hockey Eagles fought into a second overtime before losing to eventual state champion St. John’s Prep in a semifinal Division 1 game on Tues., March 15 at Tsongas Arena. The loss ended a Cinderella run by the Eagles, who until St. John’s Prep’s late goal, had gone 10 periods without giving up a score.