(Brenden Lytle led the Saints to a victory)

 

In the annual Battle of the Bishop game, the Saints of Bishop Dwenger led wire to wire to claim a win in this contest between two fierce rivals.

Each team struggled early on getting shots to fall, that is, except Brenden Lytle of Bishop Dwenger. The 6' senior guard scored the first eight points for the Saints, including a pair of three-pointers as Dwenger jumped out to an 8-2 lead. Luers would counter by scoring the next five, capped by a three-pointer from Naylon Thompson, but the single point was as close as the Knights would be able to get the rest of the way.

 

Bishop Dwenger used their significant size advantage to dominate the glass, as Beau Jacquay, Joe Kelley, and Preston Ross were able to gain several extra possessions for the Saints as they extended their advantage to as many as 12 points before halftime. Luers was able to turn away many shots at the rim, however, as the Thompsons, Nick and Naylon, combined for four blocks in the first half and kept the Knights' deficit to ten points at the break.

 

A flurry from Naylon Thompson closed the gap in the third, as the senior guard used his quickness and athleticism to get into the lane and finish on three consecutive possessions early on with buckets. Dwenger would hold off the spurt from the visitors by manufacturing points in the lane through aggressive play and deft passing.

 

Luers would extend their pressure in the fourth quarter and force Dwenger into multiple turnovers, but too often the Knights failed to convert them into points. Naylon Thompson missed a breakaway dunk and Isaac Zay failed to convert on the follow up, while Johnny Sewell and Da'von Doughty also missed point-blank opportunities. This allowed Dwenger to maintain an uncomfortable but unreachable margin of at least six points through the final quarter, despite the Saints finishing just 7/15 from the free-throw line on the night.

 

Brenden Lytle had 13 of his team-high 17 points in the first half for the Saints and also handed out a team-high five assists. He was the only Saint in double figures, as fellow senior guard Xavier Nolan added nine points to go along with four rebounds.

 

Naylon Thompson led Luers with 17 points. The senior also grabbed four boards and added two assists, two steals, and two blocks to his stat line. Freshman guard Isaac Zay also reached double figures with 10 points, while Nick Thompson added six points, eight rebounds, and four assists for the visitors.

 

 

Bishop Luers     7  12  14  12  -  45

Bishop Dwenger  10  19  13  11  -  53

 

Bishop Luers: Naylon Thompson 17 points (7/19 FGs, 2/7 3Ps, 1/1 FTs), 4 rebs, 2 asts, 2 stls, 2 blks; Isaac Zay 10 points (4/8 FGs, 2/4 3Ps), 2 rebs; Nick Thompson 6 points (2/7 FGs, 2/4 FTs), 8 rebs, 4 asts, 2 blks; Johnny Sewell 6 points (2/6 FGs, 2/4 FTs), 3 rebs, 2 stls; Lukas North (1/5 FGs, 1/3 3Ps), 2 rebs; Da'von Doughty 2 points (1/4 FGs), 2 stls; Omare Bates 1 points (1/2 FTs)

 

Bishop Dwenger: Brenden Lytle 17 points (6/10 FGs, 3/6 3Ps, 2/3 FTs), 3 rebs, 5 asts; Xavier Nolan 9 points (3/8 FGs, 3/4 FTs), 4 rebs; Rocco Ciocca 5 points (2/3 FGs, 1/2 FTs), 3 rebs; Xavier Allen 5 points (2/3 FGs, 1/1 3Ps), 4 rebs; Owen Shively 5 points (2/3 FGs, 1/2 FTs), 3 rebs; CJ Pieper 4 points (2/7 FGs), 6 rebs; Beau Jacquay 4 points (2/2 FGs), 3 rebs; Sam Campbell 4 points (2/4 FGs)