Montville — There were eight technical fouls and an ejection. Scrum here, scrum there, a game measured in first downs as much as points.

"I'm about to get two bags of ice on my knees right now," tired and sore St. Thomas More guard Christian Vital said Saturday.

Indeed. And yet Vital's grin, despite what felt like having to walk barefoot over broken glass to achieve victory, told the story. St. Thomas More won its Founder's Tournament title, 86-75 over rival Putnam Science Academy, which featured moments when 10 future Division I college players occupied the floor at the same time.

St. Thomas More center Omari Spellman was ejected after a flagrant foul, T-More coach Jere Quinn was hit with a technical and a technical served as UConn-bound Mamadou Diarra's fifth foul with more than 18 minutes remaining. Diarra is among Putnam Science's best players.

"This game definitely has more to it," said Vital, headed to play at UNLV. "We beat them on a buzzer beater last year. They definitely had a bad taste. You could see how physical it was. They have a bunch of Division I kids and so do we. I was telling my guys this wasn't going to be easy."

If nothing else, though, Putnam Science/T-More is becoming a must watch for basketball junkies.

"Putnam Science are like the new kids on the block and it's really interesting how in the last three or four years, it's become such a good rivalry," Quinn said. "Each team wants to play for a national title. But you can't be the best in the nation if you're not the best in Connecticut. And Connecticut has some really good basketball with us, Putnam Science, South Kent and Cheshire Academy.

"It's certainly a game of passion," Quinn said. "I think everybody wanted the game so badly, sometimes we lost a little focus. I know I did getting the technical, a very poor decision on my behalf. But I did want the foul."

The Chancellors (13-1) held a 60-57 lead with six minutes remaining when a 15-5 run all but ended it. St. Joseph-bound Charles Brown converted a steal into a score to push the lead to seven before Spellman's 3-pointer, just before his ejection, gave T-More a 10-point lead.

Vital led the Chancellors with 25 points and Brown had 18.

Hamadou Diallo had 19 for the Mustangs (16-2). Diarra had six before fouling out.

"This was a battle," Putnam Science coach Tom Espinosa said. "Really physical. The schools are within an hour, there's a lot of talent and a great atmosphere. We've got to do a better job being mentally tough. I apologize, too. I have to do a better job of keeping my composure."

m.dimauro@theday.com

Twitter: @BCgenius