The Bishop Diego boys basketball team was unable to overcome a 15-point first-quarter deficit at Citrus College against Ribet Academy and lost 79-65.
The Cardinals finished the season with a 14-13 overall record after an 8-2 Frontier League finish, which landed them in second place. The team defeated Lennox Academy in its first CIF Division 5-AA playoff match, but could not get past third-seeded Ribet Academy.
Despite the slow start, Bishop Diego never let the home team get comfortable. In the final three quarters of the game, the Cardinals outscored their opponents.
The team’s resurgence after the first quarter was partly sparked by Nolan Tisdale, who hit a shot as time expired in the period from his own free-throw line.
Tisdale led the team with 22 points while Elias Munoz contributed 19 more. Leo Schneider and Reese Moulton also had productive offensive outings with nine and seven points respectively.
The Cardinals needed every point they could get as they faced difficult matchups at many positions.
“We hadn’t played a team that quick in a while,” head coach Dean Prophet said.
In addition to speed, the team had to deal with Ribet Academy’s size. The host team had a 6-10 center and received 33 points from 6-4 freshman Tyler Dorsey.
Bishop Diego cut the lead to single-digits in the second half, but in the end, was unable to get within striking distance of the No. 3 seed.
The team’s eight seniors will be disappointed with the loss, but the Cardinals enjoyed a successful 2011-12 campain.
“The kids always competed hard and stuck together as a unit,” Prophet said.
