The night before her team played in the CIF San Diego Section Division 2 semifinals, The Bishop’s School girls basketball coach Paris Johnson told her team to lay down at midcourt and close their eyes.
“Open your palms, be relaxed, calm your mind and still your body,” Johnson told her players. “Visualize the game and what we’re going to do. Nerves are OK. When the nerves come, take a deep breath and reset.”
Sure enough, the nerves came Wednesday night and the Knights responded. After wasting a 12-point lead, Bishop’s rallied on its home floor to defeat Montgomery 63-55, earning a trip to Saturday’s Division 2 championship game against Otay Ranch at Canyon Crest Academy.
Bishop’s (19-11) is blessed with a rich basketball history, winning eight section titles, including six in a row from 1997 to 2002. But it’s been 11 years since the last championship.
“Now,” said Johnson, “we have something to play for. We just made it to the championship game. It’s been 11 years since Bishop’s had a title. Let’s go out there and get this for the school, for our program. Let’s make history.”
Johnson knows about legacies. She’s San Diego State’s fifth all-time leading scorer and all-time leading shot blocker.
“I like making history,” she said.
Midway through the second quarter, it looked like Bishop’s might run away and hide. The Knights, who beat Montgomery (20-10) by 21 points in January, led the Aztecs by 12, 25-13.
But the visitors rallied to tie the game at 27 before Bishop’s took a 29-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the third quarter, Montgomery led by three points on three occasions.
Said the Knights’ Ayla Johnson, who scored 10 points: “In the locker room, we talked about coming together, picking up our energy, communicate. We were able to come back and stick to our game.”
By the end of the quarter, Bishop’s led 48-43. Hitting all 10 free throws in the quarter helped the Knights erase the deficit. The visitors would get no closer than three the rest of the game.
Balance was the key for Bishop’s, with all five starters scoring in double figures. Freshmen Maya Mahone and Nyah Williams scored 16 and 14, respectively. Marsgo Leong added 13 and Kamaili Lasua scored 10.
The 6-foot-2 Leong dominated the paint, blocking eight shots and grabbing at least 15 rebounds.
Joked Paris Johnson: “She threw a block party.”
Genevieve Whitehead led Montgomery with 18 points, including four 3s. Paula Zumstein scored 15 and Datalia Sanchez had 10.
Regarding the team’s balance, Ayla Johnson said, “We have a very talented team that likes to share the wealth. No one’s selfish. We play for each other. In the end, everyone gets numbers.”
Said Paris Johnson: “Just to be able to share the ball, making sure everyone’s involved. If we do that, it’s hard to beat us.”
