Bishop Kelly Shoots Down Defending A-2 Champ Moscow Knights Take Title In Bears’ Last Game As A-2 School
Defending State A-2 boys basketball champion Moscow met its defensive equal Saturday evening. So the difference came down to offense.
And Bishop Kelly dethroned Moscow because it had an offensive attack that the Bears couldn’t match.
Abe Jackson, who has a presidential name to match his offensive skills, led the Knights to a 64-52 victory in a final played before 4,000 at the Idaho Center. Jackson had a game-high 15 points.
It was the third straight title game appearance by the Bears. It was also the last in A-2, as Moscow (19-5) moves up to A-1 next season.
Bishop Kelly (23-3) beat Moscow at its own game as the Knights grabbed the majority of loose balls and owned the boards. BK outrebounded Moscow 40-26.
Trailing 45-31 going into the fourth quarter, Moscow threatened to make it a battle to the end.
But it was a temporary threat. Freshman Darnell Williams made three straight baskets to open the fourth period, cutting the Knights’ lead to 45-37. BK stretched the lead to double figures, and Moscow never recovered. The Knights’ biggest lead grew to 20 points with 1:19 remaining.
In the first half, the 6-foot-7 Jackson, possibly the best player in A-2, dominated, scoring 14 of his game-high 31 points.
Moscow lost track of BK’s other post, Ryan Zimmerman, because it was so concerned about the whereabouts of Jackson. Zimmerman got free for seven points.
An 8-2 spurt at the end of the first quarter gave BK a 17-12 lead. Moscow cut into a seven-point deficit in the second quarter, taking a brief lead at 25-24 when Sean Reynolds made a 16-foot jumper with 2:06 before halftime.
But the Knights scored seven straight points to close out the first half with a 31-25 lead.
Bishop Kelly 64, Moscow 52
Moscow 12 13 6 21 52
Bishop Kelly 17 14 14 19 64
MOSCOW Brown 10, Rinaldi 7, Williams 12, Reynolds 7, Comstock 2, Busch 2, Cosgrove 1, Gilmore 0, Shupe 2, Westberg 9.
BISHOP KELLY - Horras 0, Satterfield 3, Goodson 1, Levandusky 0, Livingston 1, Violette 6, Burke 4, White 0, Jackson 31, Zimmerman 14, Aleksich 4, Cammann 0.
, DataTimes