The matchup between St. Pascal Baylon and St. Adalbert opened with St. Pascal setting the tone defensively. Their 2–3 zone immediately caused problems for St. Adalbert, forcing tough looks and limiting early scoring. With strong effort on both ends, points were hard to come by in the opening minutes, but St. Pascal found just enough inside to build a slim 6–2 lead five minutes into the first half.

St. Pascal continued to control the glass, using offensive rebounds to generate second-chance points and defensive boards to jumpstart transition. As the half progressed, St. Adalbert began to slowly break through the zone, knocking down soft mid-range shots to stay within reach. Even with their unselfish ball movement and patient possessions, the shots weren’t falling consistently, allowing St. Pascal to stretch its lead to 14–4 around the 10-minute mark.

A timeout helped spark St. Adalbert, as they drilled a big three and tightened up defensively, trimming the deficit to 21–10 with eight minutes left in the half. From there, both teams found ways to attack the paint, trading baskets in a lively stretch that brought extra energy to the gym. By halftime, St. Pascal held a solid 31–17 advantage, thanks to their rebounding and steady interior scoring.

St. Adalbert came out of the break with renewed intensity, turning up the defensive pressure and finishing at the rim to cut the margin to 39–29 within the first 10 minutes of the second half. Physical defense on both sides led to fouls and tough possessions, keeping the game competitive.

Out of the timeout, St. Adalbert continued attacking the paint, trimming the score to 41–33 with eight minutes to play. St. Pascal responded with a trapping defensive look, but St. Adalbert still found ways to score, forcing St. Pascal to burn a timeout with their lead narrowed to just 41–39 and 5:48 remaining.

The huddle proved crucial, as St. Pascal came out firing — knocking down a three and then converting a strong layup to regain momentum. The second half featured several jump balls, a sign of how physical both teams were battling on the boards. St. Adalbert made a strong push down the stretch, but St. Pascal held firm, squashing the comeback attempt and closing out a hard-earned 52–42 victory.