They started hot, stayed hot, and finished hot.
The Bishop Loughlin boys basketball team came out firing on all cylinders March 5, cruising to an 87–70 victory over Iona Prep in the Catholic High School Athletic Association ‘AA’ quarterfinals at Fordham University.
“We’re shooting the ball pretty well and we know what we can do,” Loughlin coach Ed Gonzalez said. “That’s a tribute to all the time they put in the gym.”
The Lions scored the first 13 points of the game, jumping out to a 21–5 lead in the opening eight minutes. Loughlin controlled tempo from the opening tip, sparked, as usual, by the dynamic backcourt duo of Keith Williams and Markquis Nowell. The pair combined for 28 of the Lions’ first 34 points and, more often than not, set each other up in transition.
“We switched up defenses on them and hoped that could mix them up a bit,” Gonzalez said. “We didn’t want to get behind because playing from behind against these guys can be tough.”
Loughlin never faltered; continuing to hit its shots even after Iona Prep dropped into a 2–3 zone to start the second quarter. The Lions simply moved the ball a bit quicker, found the open spot on the floor and padded its lead, taking a 27-point cushion into halftime.
“Our coaches study film of all the teams,” senior Tyrese Gafney said. “So we go out and practice against defenses that other teams might play, and we’re ready for anything from the start.”
The entire performance was that of a well-oiled machine, but Loughlin’s most striking statistic came from behind the arc. The Lions shot a blistering 92 percent from three-point range in the first half and didn’t miss a single trey in the second quarter. By the final whistle, the squad had connected on 11 shots from distance.
“You’ve got to make shots, but if you take good shots and you share the basketball, I think that’s going to be the result,” Gonzalez said. “I think we showed today when you trust each other, share the basketball and move the ball, that’s what happens.”
Williams and Nowell, who combined for 42 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, were Loughlin’s primary one-two punch, but as a team, 12 Lions saw game action and 10 made the box score.
“All of us can play, said Gafney, who chipped in 21 points. “We’ve all got talent and we all work hard.”
Even after such a lopsided victory, Loughlin isn’t taking anything for granted. A year after coming up short in the city final last season, this squad is focused on its ultimate goal: a championship. “They don’t want to go home yet,” Gonzalez said. “They know that the next one is do or die. If you lose, you’re out, so they’re going to leave it all on the floor.”
