Lopsided victories have become a regular occurrence for the Bishop Diego boys’ basketball team, and Monday’s 73-24 victory over Canoga Park followed a familiar formula.
The Cardinals swarmed on defense and were opportunistic on offense as they increased their winning streak to six games.
“Defense is our main strength right now. I have been preaching to the guys that defense is going to win us games,” said Bishop Diego first-year head coach Caleb Richie. “We play really tough, we have some good guards, everybody has a defensive mentality, and I think that carries over when our offense isn’t clicking.”
Bishop Diego’s lone loss came to Inglewood, which features the all-time leading scorer in the history of California high school basketball, Jason Crowe Jr.
One of the primary reasons for Bishop Diego’s sudden dominance has been the emergence of freshman guards Shane Kwizera and Shammah Kwizera. The twin brothers from Uganda have made a huge impact on both ends of the court.
“It will be nice to have them for the next four years. They are very poised, coachable kids and great students,” Richie said. “They mesh well with our returners defensively and offensively. We don’t shy away from competition, and I think they’ve shown that and will continue to do so for the rest of the season.”
Shane and Shammah finished with nine and six points, respectively, despite sitting out the entire second half.
The game was tied at 6-6 early in the first quarter, but the Cardinals closed the period on a 12-1 run, capped by a corner three-pointer from standout sophomore Rudy Blue to break it open.
Bishop Diego went on to outscore Canoga Park 24-5 in the second quarter and took a 42-12 lead into halftime. Shane Kwizera scored seven points in the period.
Senior Damian Krautmann led the way for the Cardinals with 14 points, while Blue and Aiden Padilla were also explosive offensively with 11 points apiece. Overall, 11 of the 12 Bishop Diego players who entered the game reached the scoring column.
With the victory, Bishop Diego improved to 8-1 overall and will host Orcutt Academy in a non-league contest on Thursday, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
San Marcos 71, Oxnard 54
Junior guard Aidan Conlan exploded for 29 points as the Royals captured an impressive Channel League victory in hostile territory.
“Tonight was maybe my favorite game I’ve coached since I’ve been at San Marcos. We were so connected on both ends,” said San Marcos coach Matt Jordan. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the way Jeff Staniland coaches, and I know how tough it is to go into their house and play the way we did.”
Koji Hefner scored 21 points, and Sergio Landeros continued his strong play with 11 points. The Royals will travel to rival Santa Barbara on Thursday for a crucial Channel League contest.
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