BE boys hoopsters make final push for region top spot

Bishop England High School boys’ basketball coach Bryan Grevey admits playing 20-something games during the season can be a long grind.

 

“But, the kids still come to practice motivated and ready to work,” Grevey said. “When you have something like that, you know you are doing something right as a coach and team.”

 

The Bishops have made all of the right moves this season, showing improvement as the playoffs loom. They own a 16-7 record, including 4-1 in Region 7-AA, which is good for second place in the league behind Oceanside Collegiate Academy.

 

The Bishops entered Jan. 30’s game at Timberland with a four-game winning streak and had won 9 of their last 11 (the paper went to print prior to the game).

 

“I’m very proud of where we are,” Grevey said. “Unfortunately, we dropped a couple of games in December that I’d like to have back. But I’m happy with our effort and results.”

 

The Bishops have three regular-season season games remaining on the schedule and all three are Region 7-AA encounters. And, all three are on the road.

 

After Timberland, the Bishops travel to Oceanside Collegiate on Feb. 2 and then travel to Academic Magnet on Feb. 6.

 

“Those three places are hard places to play,” Grevey said. “So, we have our work cut out.”

 

The Bishops will need a victory over OCA to gain a share of first place in the region. If the Bishops beat the Landsharks, the teams will meet for a third time on a neutral court to decide the conference championship.

 

But it won’t be easy. The Landsharks jumped to leads of 39-26 and 61-34 enroute to a 77-59 victory at Father O’Brien Gymnasium in the first game.

 

“They’ve had our number the last four of five games,” Grevey said. “We talk about that first game, and we’re working to correct our mistakes. We just have to play better. We have a game plan and just have to execute it.”

 

The Bishops have a balanced attack and veteran squad. Senior Jack van de Erve is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. But he missed the last three games with an injury. Other players stepped up while he was out, including Lang Tarrant, who hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to give the Bishops a one-point win over Cathedral Academy. He’s averaging 6.1 points a game.

 

Aiden Alexander is second on the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game. Andrew Puckhaber is a force inside with 9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Ellis Rollins has been solid, averaging 8.6 points a contest.

 

The Bishops should finish either in first or second place in the region, which would mean they would be at home for the first playoff game.

 

“When we began the season, we talked about the importance of hosting a playoff game,” Grevey said. “Having that game at home means one less three-hour round-trip bus ride. You get to play in a familiar environment, which is huge from a mental standpoint.”