The combination of an off-night shooting and an opponent from the L.A. City Section didn’t end up very well for Bishop Diego’s boys basketball team Friday, as the Cardinals took an 82-32 loss to open up the Santa Barbara Holiday Classic.
“We start three point guards that are either 14 or 15. They’re going to have bad nights like this,” said coach Ray Vazquez.
Elias Muñoz was the only Cardinal in double-figures with 12 points, and Bishop gave up 26 unanswered points from the end of the first to well into the second quarter. The Cardinals also went 3-for-13 from the free-throw line.
“We play these games so we can prepare for league, and their pressure just overwhelmed us,” said Vazquez, who noted that the Cardinals committed 23 turnovers through three quarters. The much longer Gondoliers plugged up the passing lanes and intercepted passes throughout the game.
The Cardinals (5-5), however, blossomed at the start of the second half, going on a 10-0 run. Included in the stretch was a pretty inbounds pass from halfcourt by Hayden Slaught, which found a leaping Connor MacGillivray for the lay-up.
Slaught then hit a trey and followed up with a 3-point play to make it 42-20 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter. The rough-and-tumble game got a little chippy after that, and Venice ran away by winning the fourth quarter 31-4.
“This is a special group, but it’s a young group… We entered this tournament because this is where we expect to be,” said Vazquez.
(Photos by Blake Dorfman/PresidioPics. To order prints, e-mail [email protected]).
VENICE 82, BISHOP DIEGO 32
VENICE—Linton 8, Chinninghun 7, McNeal 8, Trujeque 6, Todd 16, Gilmer 1, Harris 11, Flynn 5, Furmon 10, Glaza 4. Totals 28 18-30 82.
BISHOP DIEGO—Slaught 6, Fling 2, Garcia 2, Kwock 4, MacGillivray 6, Muñoz 12, BGonzales 3, Tack 2. Totals 14 3-13 32.
Venice……………27 15 9 31 — 82
Bishop Diego….4 6 18 4 — 32
3-point goals—V 1 (Linton), BD 1 (Slaught).
Total fouls—V 14, BD 21.
