On Tuesday night, January 27th, the sun had set, but the lights in the Eva May Fleet Athletic Center illuminated the court as Bishop’s Boys Varsity Basketball team looked to take on the La Jolla Country Day School (LJCDS) Torreys.

The players positioned themselves on the hardwood, the Knights in white and the Torreys in blue. At center court, the referee blew his whistle, tossed the ball into the air, and the rivalry matchup began.

Going into the game, Bishop’s looked to bounce back from a 46-80 loss to Francis Parker on January 23rd. More importantly, the team was also attempting to break a 13-game losing streak to LJCDS, with Bishop’s last win in the 2019-2020 season.

Neil Koura (‘28), Bishop’s starting guard, explained that the team needed to set the tone early. Before the game, he noted, “We have to disrupt Country Day’s rhythm and play as a team.” 

In practice before the game, Zack Chen (‘26), Bishop’s co-captain, said, “We’ve just been learning their players’ tendencies and creating a plan to stop them offensively and defensively.” He added, “They’re very physical, so rebounding and making hustle plays will be a key area of the game [for Bishop’s].”

History Teacher and Middle School Basketball Coach Mr. Kamal Assaf noticed that the Knights had the height advantage. He explained that Romeo, at six feet, five inches tall, “is a big advantage inside for rebounding because he’s taller.”

The Knights executed on their pregame strategies to start the game, getting out to an early 8-4 lead highlighted by a three-pointer from Sherwin Yu (‘26) and a layup from Romeo Wright (‘26), while being pressured by three defenders. 

But the Torreys fought back, led by LJCDS #23 Wyatt Tilson (‘26), draining four shots from behind the arc en route to 14 points in the first. LJCDS spectator Alex Rechel (‘28) said grinning, “Wyatt is on a heater right now.”

With seconds left in the quarter, Jojo Bryant (‘27) got the rebound on the defensive end and took the ball coast to coast, scoring an inside hand layup at the buzzer. The period finished 14-18, LJCDS leading.

Mr. Assaf explained the atmosphere of the game, saying, “It’s great energy on the court. Too bad the crowd isn’t in here.” He added, “Both teams are well prepared and well coached. It’s just a great rivalry.”

Romeo opened up the scoring in the second quarter, putting in his own rebound for two. The challenge of getting buckets showcased on the Knights’ first possession remained throughout the period. The defense on both sides of the court was aggressive, and neither team pulled away. The difference remained at four halfway through the quarter, LJCDS leading 20-24.

But in the second half of the period, LJCDS went on a run, transforming defensive stops into buckets on the other end. The Torreys forced a series of turnovers despite rapid ball movement from Bishop’s.

LJCDS capitalized, scoring eight straight, the only answer from Bishop’s coming as Neil made a spin move and drained a high-arcing shot over the defenders. At half Bishop’s faced a 10-point deficit, the score: 22-32.

At the half, Bishop’s looked to change their game plan and mount a comeback in the second half. Trever Smith (‘31), a spectator, highlighted, “[Bishop’s] need to guard 23, he’s a great shooter.” Mr. Assaf added, “They’re doing a really good job defensively, but Country Day’s best player has five threes.”

Going into the second half, Mr. Assaf emphasized tighter coverage on Wyatt Tilson, saying, “his range is so deep that they have to all communicate and get out and contest quicker.” On offense, he noted, “We need to score more in the paint in the second half.”

Heading into the third quarter, Bishop’s made the adjustment to put Jojo on Wyatt Tilson. On the Torreys’ first possession, Wyatt Tilson found himself unable to make space, forcing him to pass the ball, leading to a turnover. The scoring gap remained in double digits for a majority of the period until Jojo connected from behind the arc, cutting the lead to 31-40. 

Zack forced a miss for the Torreys on the opposite end, giving Bishop’s one more opportunity to score with time in the quarter winding down. LJCDS stole the ball from Romeo in under the basket, but Jojo dove at the baseline, stretching out his arm to knock the ball in bounds and keep the play alive. Adrian Cervantes (‘26) caught the ball and swished a three-pointer from the corner as time expired in the period. The LJCDS lead was cut to six points, the score: 34-40. 

The Knights huddled together before the final quarter, reenergized by their streak at the end of the period. Neil explained before the game, “We plan on just locking in on the details, and trying for all 32 minutes.” The Knights enter the fourth quarter prepared to do exactly that. 

Neil scored the first point of the period, knocking down a three. But he was not done there. Following a bucket on the opposite side by LJCDS, he buried another triple. Two possessions later, Neil tied the game at 45, sinking yet another from deep. 

“Neil’s shooting has been amazing this second half,” Amaree Maye (‘29), a member of Bishop’s Junior Varsity Boys’ Basketball team, commented during the fourth. “He’s the reason we are this close in the game.”

The game became a back-and-forth, with both sides trading free throws. With two minutes left, the score was 49-50 — and Jojo found himself at the line with the chance to take the lead. He made both free throws, giving Bishop’s their first lead since the first quarter. 

But on the other side, the Torreys got an offensive rebound following a missed shot, giving them an open layup to take back the lead, 51-52. After a defensive stop, Wyatt Tilson dropped his first three of the second half, pulling it from deep, getting it to fall in after hitting the front rim.

With 16 seconds left in the game, Jojo found himself at the free-throw line. LJCDS students heckled him, trying to throw off his rhythm, but he stayed cool and sank both shots. The gap was narrowed to one possession, with the Knights at 53 and LJCDS at 55.

LJCDS inbounded the ball, forcing Bishop’s to foul. The Torreys split the free throws, putting the score at 53-56.

The Knights received one more possession with 6.7 seconds remaining on the clock. Bishop’s inbounded the ball, and Neil threw up a triple from way beyond the line, but it missed its mark. 

The buzzer sounded, marking the final score: Bishop’s 53, La Jolla Country Day 56. From down ten at halftime to leading by one in the fourth, Bishop’s fell just short of defeating Country Day. “It was very exciting, the energy from both teams was pretty intense,” Noah Smith (‘28) commented. Despite falling just short, the Knights look to put the loss behind them and finish strong with four games left in the regular season.