Mohegan — They might be championship teams from a year ago, but that doesn’t mean they’re championship-ready for 2024 just yet.

That’s part of the cachet of playing in The Day Holiday Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena in the early season against top competition, East Catholic coach Luke Reilly said Monday night. It gives you a taste of what it will take to get back to the Sun on championship weekend.

“We love this tournament. It’s such a special thing for the kids,” said Reilly, whose team has played in the tournament all three seasons it’s been held. “It’s just an amazing opportunity for these players and myself.

“... Getting there (to the state final) and winning it, half the fun is being here, so it’s really special.”

Samson Reilly, the coach’s son, finished with 36 points Monday as top-ranked East Catholic defeated No. 4 St. Bernard 68-60 before 1,597 fans in a matchup between two defending state champions and two of the top teams in the GameTimeCT Top 10 poll.

East Catholic (2-0) was the Division I champ last year, while St. Bernard (1-1) won Division II.

St. Bernard plays at East Catholic on Feb. 6 and the teams could possibly face each other again in the Division I state tournament.

Right now, they’re still getting started. East Catholic graduated four starters from last year’s team and St. Bernard graduated The Day’s All-Area Player of the Year in Cedrick Similien. On Monday, the Saints started a freshman in Curtis Marshall and a transfer in Nazir Rembert.

The teams combined for 46 trips to the free throw line, with Samson Reilly going 15-for-15.

That’s something St. Bernard coach Mark Jones would like to see his players clean up as they develop a chemistry incorporating all of their new pieces, but Jones was pleased with the Saints’ effort.

“We have a lot of new players that we’re trying to fit in and work in and trying to get things together,” Jones said. “It’s a work in progress. We’ve got to just keep plugging away. I thought the second half we competed, we played hard. We just missed too many layups, too many easy buckets around the rim.

“That happens in the beginning of the year when teams are trying to get back in shape and everything. And East Catholic is a really good team. You’ve got to give them credit.”

Curtis Marshall, the freshman and the younger brother of Saints junior all-star Amare Marshall, led St. Bernard with 14 points. Amare Marshall had 12 and Amyre Gray 11.

St. Bernard pulled to within four points at halftime, 33-29, on two free throws and a fast-break dunk by Curtis Marshall. Gray scored to start the third quarter, whittling the margin to two.

Shortly thereafter, however, Amare Marshall went to the bench after picking up his fourth foul. The Saints initially withstood the loss of Marshall, pulling within four when Colin O’Leary scored on a fast break, but East Catholic had an answer for every St. Bernard run.

The Eagles led 52-44 after three quarters and went up by as many as 11 in the third quarter after back-to-back three-point plays by Samson Reilly. St. Bernard drew as close as 63-60 in the final minute, but with the shot clock off, the Saints were forced to foul and East Catholic scored the final five points from the foul line.

“It lets our kids know what the standard is,” Jones said of scheduling East Catholic twice this season. “They’re a Division I state championship team. If you want to win a state championship, then that’s theirs. They ain’t gonna give it to you. You’ve got to go out and take it.

“I think we kind of got that and understood that today playing against them. ... We’ll figure it out, though.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com