The Talent: Bishop Kelley vs Victory Christian
Bishop Kelley played straight into the game plan of Victory Christian in the semifinal matchup of the Port City Classic. Victory Christian wants to slow the pace of a game and grind out a win. Bishop Kelley started the way they needed to play. They took the Conquerors out of their comfort zone and forced them to score 17 in the first quarter. However, the Conquerors did not miss a step they matched Bishop Kelley bucket for bucket in the first quarter. In the second quarter the game was slowed a bit by Victory Christian and they took a 31-27 lead into the break. The second half scoring was grinded to a halt. Throughout the second half both teams only scored 13 points a piece. Victory advanced to the finals of the Port City Classic with a 44-40 win over Bishop Kelley.
Ryan Gendron 2018 Bishop Kelley Guard
Victory Christian may have won the game, but the MVP award would definitely go to Gendron. Gendron was on fire for Bishop Kelley. He opened the game with 15 points in the first quarter for the Comets and forced Victory to place their best defenders on him to try to slow him down. Gendron got Victory Christian’s Wakley and Calhoon in foul trouble. Gendron scored a game-high 25 points on the night. NCAA Division II’s should give Gendron a look as he continues to impress this season.
Caleb Calhoon 2018 Victory Christian Guard
Calhoon just came back from an injury that had plagued him since football season. He came off the bench for the Conquerors today but played a majority of the minutes. He showed no signs of his previous injury as he played an important role in Victory Christian’s win against Bishop Kelley. He was tasked with guarding Gendron for most of the night and slowed him down at times. On the offensive end, Calhoon showed no signs of rust as he drilled his first shot from deep. He attacked the basket hard and drew contact or finished. Calhoon finished with a team-high 13 points on the night.
RJ Wakley 2018 Victory Christian Guard
RJ Wakley brings the energy and enthusiasm for Victory Christian. He is a leader on the court and is always coaching or uplifting his teammates. Wakley’s presence was also felt in the actual play of the game as well. He was tasked with guarding Gendron for part of the night. He played him tightly and forced Gendron to shoot over him. On the other end, Wakley was dominant until he got foul trouble. Before he got sat down for fouls in the third quarter, he was leading the team in points. He finished the night with 12 points.
Zach Coffman 2018 Bishop Kelley Guard
Coffman is the glue guy for Bishop Kelley. Some nights he is asked to do a lot for the team and others he is not. Tonight with Gendron being hot, Coffman’s role was limited. He was not asked to do a ton, but when he was called upon he came through. He did what his team needed and did not complain. He was huge for the Comets even if the stats do not say that. He finished the night with 8 points.