On Jan. 13, in the first real showdown game of the season, the Bishop Hendricken basketball team allowed 78 points and lost by 12 to Mt. Pleasant.

Since then, the Hawks haven’t let an opponent get out of the 50s, and in the second showdown of the season, that trend continued.

With a capacity crowd jammed into Ray Pepin Gymnasium, the Hawks used a stifling brand of defense to win a rematch of last year’s state championship 63-54 over Woonsocket.

“I think the game came down to defense and the way our guys were able to buckle down,” said Hendricken coach Jamal Gomes. “Our defense is getting better and better every game. That’s a credit to our guys. They’re responding to what we’re going over in practice. I’m very proud of them.”

The Hawks and Novans came into the game with matching 10-1 records, the best marks in the state. Woonsocket’s only loss came against La Salle, when star guard Antjuan Jones didn’t play.

The early action in Friday’s game was befitting of a marquee match-up. With the tempo at a fast pace, the teams traded baskets and rarely had empty trips. They combined to shoot nearly 50 percent from the field and had only three turnovers each. The first half ended 25 minutes after it started.

Both teams led at various points, but it was the Hawks who went into the break with a cushion. Billy Baron converted a driving lay-up and got fouled with two seconds left. He hit the free throw to put the Hawks up by four.

It didn’t look like the pace would slow after halftime, but the Hawks steadily clamped down at the defensive end. After a drive and finish by Lee Vasquez with 11:58 left, the Novans made just one field goal over the next seven minutes.

That field goal – a three-pointer by Jones – did tie the game at 40-40, but that’s as close as the Novans would get. Hendricken used a 9-1 run to pull away, then never relinquished the lead.

“We played a little man-to-man early, and they were able to shake free and they were able to get their shots off,” Gomes said. “We mixed in some zones and tried to keep them in front of us, and I think it worked tonight. The focal point of our defense was the kid Jones. He just makes shots. If he’s open, it’s going in. We just wanted to make sure he had to work for everything he got.”

Jones ended up with 15 points, but his running mates in the backcourt – Vasquez and Tron Griffith – were non-factors, especially in the second half. The Novans made just eight field goals after the break, four of them coming from Jones.

“Our goal tonight was really to take away their perimeter shooting,” Gomes said. “It’s tough to take it away completely. It’s easy to say ‘take it away,’ but really, we just wanted to make sure every shot they took was contested.”

That the Hawks succeeded is a testament to the work they’ve put in. At the beginning of the year, defense wasn’t a strong suit. Now it’s turning into a trademark, just as it has been for every Hendricken championship team.

“We’re getting there,” Gomes said. “The first half of the season, we struggled defensively – guarding our man, help defense. But we’ve been spending a lot of time in practice working on defense. Before this game, we showed them clips of our previous championship teams and how they dug in defensively. I think that the guys are grasping onto it now. They’re seeing that that’s what breeds success.”

If defense has been the biggest improvement for the Hawks, offensive balance is a close second. In the loss to Mt. Pleasant, Baron scored 42 points, with no one else in double figures.

On Friday, Baron still led the way with 24 points, but eight players scored, and a lot of their points came in key moments.

After Baron broke the 40-40 tie with a put-back, he didn’t score again until he made six free throws down the stretch. In the interim, the Hawks pulled away thanks to big contributions from several different players.

Ricky Ledo slashed to the basket for four points and two assists, while Ryan Palumbo scored all seven of his points in the five-minute stretch. The biggest bucket came with 2:36 left. Woonsocket trailed by six and had just forced Hendricken into a turnover. But Palumbo stole the ball at mid-court and raced in for a lay-up.

“At one point, we went real small with four guards and Ricky Ledo, and I think it worked out,” Gomes said. “We really stayed with their quickness.”

Nick Manning was an anchor of that defensive effort, and he also finished with 10 points. Ledo added eight, Bryan Vachon had five and Kevin Marchand had four. “It seems like every game, we’re getting more balance out of our offense,” Gomes said. “That’s what we need to win games.”

And the Hawks are certainly doing that. With six regular-season games left, they have the best record in Division I. Though Friday’s victory might establish them as the team to beat in the eyes of some observers, Gomes knows the Hawks have a long way to go.

“Woonsocket is a dangerous team, and I’ve got a lot of respect for [head coach] Kyle Ivey-Jones and what he’s doing there,” Gomes said. “I’m sure we’ll see them again in the playoffs. It’ll be on a neutral court, and it’ll be anybody’s game.”