Classic Battles on a Super Weekend

It's the kind of high school basketball you can only get during one of the biggest sports weekends of the year.

It's the 2014 Battle By the Bay at Atlantic City High School, a three-day showcase featuring some of the best teams in New Jersey and beyond.

The 20th year of the event started off with a bang between two of the top-ranked teams in South Jersey, St. Augustine Prep and Atlantic City. The Hermits and Vikings battled late into the 4th quarter, and while Atlantic City managed to tie the game at 39, St. Augustine Prep used some key foul shooting to hang on for the 60-52 win.

Free throws likely proved to be the difference in the losing cause for Atlantic City, which missed eight shots from the line and seven in the second half. The Hermits improve to 13-1 on the season, while Atlantic City suffers its third loss and the first against a South Jersey opponent in nearly two years.

If you missed Friday night's thriller, the Battle by the Bay is just getting started with an entire weekend of great games.

Don't miss live coverage of Saturday night's game between Wildwood Catholic and Holy Spirit beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The Battle by the Bay wraps up on Sunday afternoon, with 97.3 ESPN-FM's live broadcast of a classic matchup between regional rivals Pleasantville and Atlantic City. Tipoff between the Greyhounds and Vikings is at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Click here for our South Jersey High School Hoops Headquarters page, for the full listing of games on 97.3 ESPN-FM and 973espn.com

Here are some of the interviews from our live broadcast at the Battle by the Bay inside the gym at Atlantic City High School:

Ray Ellis, Holy Spirit senior defensive tackle & incoming freshman at Florida Atlantic University

Kevin Minnick, Courier-Post sports reporter

Mike Jones, Millville Thunderbolts head basketball coach

Sa'eed Nelson, St. Augustine Prep sophomore guard

John O'Kane, Press of Atlantic City sports reporter

Mike McGarry, Press of Atlantic City sports reporter