Senior forward Tina Rosales pushed past KC Christian sophomore guard Meagan Dekker for a scoring drive in Bishop Ward’s 44-33 win Friday evening. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
The Bishop Ward Lady Cyclones won 44-33 over the KC Christian Lady Panthers Friday evening, taking control in the third quarter with an overpowering defensive effort that fueled a scoring surge.
The teams took some time to find their offensive rhythm early in the game, and the score stood at only 4-2 midway through the first quarter. Ward was briefly ahead 10-4 before a late run from KC Christian closed the score to 10-8 at the end of the quarter. Point guard Jaden Oropeza had success streaking to the basket and tallied 6 points.
The Lady Panthers kept the game close in the second quarter, getting two quick turnovers to push in front 13-12 just two minutes in. Meredith Veer scored all 8 second-quarter points for the hosts, including two 3-pointers, but Ward found opportunities close to the basket to maintain an 18-16 lead at the half.
In the third quarter, Ward’s defensive intensity paid off in stops and baskets. The stops turned into fast break chances and layups for Tina Rosales and Emily Collins.
Rosales, who scored her 1,000th career point in the Lady Cyclones’ last game, hit 3 baskets and scored 3 more at the free throw line in the third quarter. The foul calls stacked up along with the defense, and Rosales had to ride the bench for the last few minutes of the quarter.
Foul trouble caught up with the Lady Cyclones in the fourth quarter as both Tina Rosales and Abby Hill fouled out of the game. The Lady Panthers earned 18 trips to the free throw line in the quarter, but they converted only 4, letting Ward keep the upper hand and finish out the game with a double-digit lead.
After the game, head coach Holland Craise praised her team’s effort.
“They really showed out tonight with defense, and like I said I can’t be more proud of them because not a lot of teams can have that defensive intensity. That’s our thing,” she said.
Rosales finished the game with 15 points for the Lady Cyclones, and Jaden Oropeza scored 12. Ward scored all its points inside the three-point arc.
Ward now has back-to-back wins and a 6-9 season record. They have three games next week: Tuesday at home against Heritage Christian Academy, on the road Wednesday at Cristo Rey, and back at home Friday against Topeka’s Cair Paravel School.
Junior guard Jaden Oropeza drove to the basket. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Senior forward Tina Rosales made a layup in the first quarter. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Junior guard Jaden Oropeza snatched a KC Christian pass to create a fast-break opportunity in the third quarter. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore guard Emily Collins took a short shot along the baseline. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Freshman guard Alaina Mendez took a shot from the low block in the second half. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Head coach Holland Craise got an enthusiastic response from her team during a fourth quarter timeout. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore guard Emily Collins drove to the basket along the baseline. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Senior forward Abby Hill fought for a rebound. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Junior guard Jaden Oropeza fought for a loose ball. (Photo copyright 2022 by Brian Turrel)
Sophomore guard Mercedes Dominguez launched a three-point shot from the corner in the first half of Bishop Ward’s substate tournament match against Wellsville. Wellsville won the game 37-35. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
by Brian Turrel
A winning season came to a disappointingly early end for the Bishop Ward Lady Cyclones on Monday evening. After finishing the regular season 11-2, they lost their opening substate match to the Wellsville Lady Eagles, 37-35.
The 2020-2021 basketball season came with many challenges, and Ward has been able to field only six players on the girls team. Many families opted not to participate this year due to the pandemic. Head coach Dominique Washington and assistant coach Holland Craise were faced with integrating two freshmen and an inexperienced sophomore into the core of the team. In response, they developed a detailed plan for keeping every player in the game every time.
The season started in mid-December, but went on hiatus until Feb. 2 due to virus restrictions. With such a long layoff, the coaches included an hour of 3-on-3 scrimmage at the end of each practice to keep the players in condition.
Once the season resumed in February, in-game management was key, and the coaches “micro-managed” the players by stepping up their verbal instructions on the court. With three games per week, the players needed to stay as fresh as possible mentally and physically. The Lady Cyclones rolled through the compressed schedule with only two losses.
Monday night’s substate game was held at Kansas City Christian School in Prairie Village, since Bishop Ward’s traditional home field at KCKCC is unavailable due to Covid restrictions. A masked crowd of about 150 fans was on hand to watch the contest.
Ward opened with the advantage, getting an early three-pointer from forward Perla Frayre-Delgado and ending the first quarter with an 8-7 lead. Strong inside rebounding from forward Tina Rosales limited the Lady Eagles’ chances.
Foul trouble caught up with the Lady Cyclones in the second quarter. With the short bench, Washington had little opportunity to rotate out guards Nieves Vazquez and Vanesa Otero as they picked up three fouls each in the first half. Wellsville gained some offensive momentum in the second quarter, and went to the break with an 18-17 lead.
In the third quarter, the game remained in reach, but cold shooting and ball-handling turnovers from the Ward offense short-circuited each comeback attempt. With only 4 points in the quarter for Ward, Wellsville went to the final quarter with a 28-21 advantage.
Ward threw its effort into a fourth quarter comeback, but came up just short. Sharpshooter Mercedes Dominguez hit two 3-pointers from the right corner, and Vazquez took two steals for breakaways. With two minutes remaining, Rosales came down hard on her ankle, sending her to the bench. Wellsville hit just enough timely shots to stay ahead until a turnover closed off Ward’s bid for a final shot to win or tie in the closing seconds.
Dominguez led the team with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Washington praised her shooting after the game, noting, “It’s kind of crazy to see teams ever give her the green light because she’s become very confident in her shot.” Delgado dropped in 9 points, including 4-of-5 at the free throw line.
The Lady Cyclones earned second in the Crossroads Conference this year behind Barstow. They’ll open next year in the new Kaw Valley Conference, a group of six private and religious schools in Kansas City and Topeka.
The Lady Cyclones will lose key seniors Otero and Frayre-Delgado, and they will have some rebuilding to do. Washington is optimistic that some players who didn’t participate this year will be back next seasons to join returning all-conference players Rosales, Dominguez and Vazquez.
Senior forward Perla Frayre-Delgado drove through the block of Wellsville’s Alexis McDaniel. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Freshman guard Nieves Vazquez scored on a breakaway layup. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Junior forward Tina Rosales made a move against the interior defense of the Lady Eagles. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Head coach Dominique Washington pulled the team together in a timeout in the fourth quarter. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Senior guard Vanesa Otero brought the ball up the court. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Freshman guard Mercedes Dominguez was stymied by the Wellsville defense on a drive inside. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Senior forward Perla Frayre-Delgado put up a shot in the lane. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)Frayre-Delgado wiped away a tear as she left the court for the final time as a Lady Cyclone. (Photo copyright 2021 by Brian Turrel)
