LJ b BB 59, Bishop's 67

Viking guard Leo Hawkinson (4)

tries to evade Knight defenders

Lucas Myer (4, white jersey)

and Owen Turner (2, behind).

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla guard Leo Hawkinson had a torrid first half, scoring 15 of the Vikings' 27 points, but host Bishop's surged to a 12-point lead late in the third quarter behind a balanced attack and took home a 67-59 win in the continuing 100-plus-year rivalry between the two schools Fri., Dec. 13, 2024.

As a result of the loss, La Jolla saw its 10-game win streak to begin the season snapped at the hands of the Knights in a thriller that witnessed the two teams trade the lead seven times in the first half.

A wild finish, with Bishop's leading by 11, led to the referees ruling that La Jolla's student fans had to leave the gym with 10.1 seconds remaining after some "went onto the court", according to Viking Athletic Director Aaron Quesnell.

As a result, the visiting students had to walk right in front of the home Bishop's student crowd to exit the building, creating quite a scene of rival students hooting at each other--though there were no incidents--before the final 10 seconds could be played.

Hawkinson, averaging nearly 20 points a game, said his shot "felt good", including threes, in the first half. "I put up a lot of shots in practice," he said of his preparation.

"We played hard," he said, "but two of our top players fouled out (Brody Sessa and Lance Braga). Our coach (Paul Baranowski) wasn't here."

Regarding the officials' insistence that the La Jolla student fans had to leave near the end of the game, the junior transfer said, "That may have been over the top."

Assistant coach Eli Crevelone, directing the Vikings in Baranowski's absence, said, "I think Bishop's played their (butts) off. I give kudos to them. Our players played well." The game was neck-and-neck until "they went on a run" in the third quarter, he added, building what reached a 13-point advantage early in the fourth period.

Asked about La Jolla students going onto the court, Crevelone said, "It's a rivalry game. Things happen."

For the Knights, senior Lucas Myer scored 15 points, junior Romeo Wright 12.

Vikings scoring included Hawkinson, who finished with 20 points, Braga with 17, and Sessa 10.