Bishop’s Fab Freshmen come up just short

The young guns almost got it done.

Bishop Diego’s freshmen accounted for 71 percent of the team’s points on Saturday as the Cardinals lost a boys basketball battle at the Brickhouse against Blair, 82-73, in the championship game of the Bishop Diego/Laguna Blanca Tournament.

Sam Kwock, the Kodak-moment kid from Friday night’s win over Besant Hill, followed up his 24-point performance with another 24 against Blair. This time, however, he made a modest five three-pointers instead of the eight he nailed on Friday.

Fellow freshman Paul Garcia slashed his way to a savvy 22 points, playing with confidence beyond his years. The young guard said that he knew before the season that he would carry a lot of the responsibility this year.

“Being a point guard means you have to be a leader,” he said. “You have to know where everybody is and be a floor general.”

Both he and Kwock earned all-tournament honors.

Garcia grabbed an outlet pass from Art Gonzales and put in a lay-up to pull the Cardinals within two points at 63-61 with five minutes left, but the shots stopped falling in the final minutes as the much larger and more athletic Vikings.

While the visitors from Pasadena got 15 points from agile 6-foot-7 forward Katorio Walker, it was a 27-point performance from 6-1 tournament MVP Deon Geary that made the difference.

Kwock, however, has proven that size isn’t everything on the hardwood. His pesky, relentless play earned him hugs from Walker and Blair coach Dr. Gamal P. Smalley in the “good game” line after the final buzzer. He certainly earned the respect of all of his opponents in the tournament.

“He has no regard for his own body,” said Bishop Diego head coach Ray Vazquez, who recalled how Kwock took a charge Friday and was knocked backwards about five yards.

“He was bleeding from his lip, and he came up to me and said ‘am I bleeding?’, and I told him he was, but it seemed like he savored it. The kid’s special.”

Underclassmen scored 65 of the team’s 75 points against Besant Hill and 52 of Bishop’s 73 against Blair.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised by it, but I didn’t expect it to come this early,” said Vazquez. “We don’t do a lot of things, and we just try to keep it simple for these kids… The expectations have changed around here, and so has the attitude. We expect to do well.”

If the youngsters continue on like this, the expectations will be high for years to come.

BLAIR 82, BISHOP DIEGO 73

BLAIR—Ellison 14, Geary 27, Bagnevise 14, Rios 3, Ellison 1, Mote 2, Pullens 7, Walker 15. Totals 27 15-21 82.

BISHOP—Slaught 2, Fling 2, Kwock 24, MacGillivray 14, BGonzales 2, Muñoz 4, Tack 3, Garcia 22. Totals 21 14-21 73.

3-point goals—BL 3 (Geary, Pullens, Ellison), BD 7 (Kwock 5, Muñoz, Garcia).

Total fouls—BL 14, BD 18.

Team records—BL 4-0, BD 3-1.