Once all the emotions and excitement of playing in a rivalry game settled down, the Bishop Diego boys basketball team showed what it can do Wednesday night at Carpinteria High’s gym.
The Cardinals buried eight 3-pointers, including five in a 24-3 fourth quarter eruption, and blew out the Warriors 62-28 in a Frontier League game.
Elias Munoz led the Cardinals’ surge in the fourth period, hitting three straight 3-pointers. He finished with four on the night en route to 23 points.
“They came in our house and played a great game,” Carpinteria coach Johnny Ward said of the Cardinals.
The game got off to a sloppy start with both teams missing open shots, turning the ball over and shooting airballs. The first quarter ended with the score tied at 7-7.
“(Carpinteria) came out with a lot of energy and they made us play a little faster than we wanted to,” Bishop coach Dean Prophet said of the Cardinals’ shaky start. “Offensively, we really weren’t in rhythm.”
Carpinteria was leading 11-9 when its top scorer Andrew Sova had to leave the game after suffering a cut on the inside of his mouth. With Sova on the bench getting medical treatment, Bishop Diego found its rhythm. Nolan Tisdale hit a 3-pointer to start a 13-0 run, on which he contributed eight points. He made a layup after a steal and also converted a 3-point play.
“Nolan is our quarterback, too,” Bishop coach Dean Prophet said of the senior who quarterbacked the Cardinals football team to the CIF semifinals. “He’s doing a lot of things well. Nolan has really helped us.”
Carpinteria ended the quarter on a positive note, with a Sova 3-pointer and a coast-to-coast, last-second layup by Marcus Hutchinson, and trailed 24-16.
But Bishop Diego reclaimed control of the game by outscoring the Warriors 10-1 to start the third quarter.
Then it was showtime for the Cardinals in the final period. They hit five straight 3-pointers, including one from NBA distance by Brandon Gonzalez.
“There’s a saying that shooting is contagious and, man, the rim was real big for those guys,” said Prophet.
It wasn’t big enough for the Warriors.
“The difference tonight was: A, Bishop hit more shots than us and made us go into catch-up mode. And B, we struggled shooting the ball,” said Ward.
Tisdale scored 12 points and Gonzalez and Reese Moulton added eight points apiece for Bishop (8-11, 3-1). Sova led Carpinteria (4-11, 1-3) with 15 points.
BISHOP DIEGO — Tisdale 12, Gonzalez 8, Munoz 23, Schneider 4, Lash 2, Moulton 8, Poindexter 2, Renick 2.
CARPINTERIA — Hutchinson 4, Crocker 2, Sova 15, DeAlba 7.
Bishop Diego…7 17 14 24 — 62
Carpinteria…7 9 9 3 — 28
3-point goals—BD 8: Tisdale 1, Gonzalez 2, Munoz 4, Moulton 1. C 2: Sova 2.
