Coach Chez Williams doesn’t want his young Bishop Loughlin players to get too full of themselves after bursting out of the gate and winning five of their first six games, including a victory over Catholic League power Christ the King.
The Lions’ latest step forward was gutting out a 78–72 victory over host Nazareth in Brooklyn-Queens girls’ basketball on Dec. 15.
Sophomore guard Millicia Reid, a Murry Bergrtaum transfer, scored 14 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line in the frame. Reid also added 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Zaria Dorsey tallied 14 points and five rebounds and Skydajah Patterson chipped in 12 points and eight boards. Even in victory Williams would not allow any of the players to talk to the media after the game because he doesn’t want them buying into the outside hype around them.
“The media thing sometimes gets to young people,” Williams said. “It makes you feel like, ‘We’re ok.’ I just want my kids to be more humble.”
He also wanted Reid to be more aggressive in the second half after scoring just five points before the break, and told her it was time to turn it up, She played better in the third, but took over in the fourth. Reid continually got to the free throw line and gave her team a chance to make plays around her.
A three-point play by Dorsey gave the Lions the lead for good at 66–64 with 2:32 to go, and senior Kiana Clark hit two three-pointers in the fourth. The second put Loughlin up 72–66 with 1:00 left to play.
“They made us have to play a better game,” Williams said of Nazareth. “Just for today, we were a better team.”
Nazareth (3–3) is going through a similar process, but has struggled out of the gate. The Lady Kingsmen took a position to win with a big third quarter. Junior wing Niya Johnson scored 13 of her 34 points in the frame and collected 11 rebounds on the night. The Lady Kingsmen took a 51–47 lead into the fourth, but could not hold it. Johnson has acclimated herself just fine to her expanded roles.
“I’ve always been in the background,” Johnson said. “Now it is my time to step up and I am really happy about it. I’m happy I am going to be able to lead my team to big things.”
The lost was still considered a step forward for a Nazareth team that has just one senior who plays significant minutes. Junior point guard Shalix Hines scored 14 points and did a superb job breaking the Loughlin pressure defense and dishing to open teammates, to the tune of 13 assists to go along with seven rebounds. Erica Russell was a force on the glass until fouling out with 3:20 to go in the game.
“Some of them are learning on the fly,” said Nazareth coach Rob Kelley. “They aren’t used to doing this in this temperature. We are young. We will make our mistakes.”
Loughlin isn’t playing to its full potential either, but Loughlin and Archbishop Molloy are the only teams in Brooklyn-Queens without a league loss. It has Williams hopeful for what his squad can become as the season goes along.
“You can’t teach experience,” Williams said. “The more game situations they play in, the more they grow up.”
