Bishop Gorman’s basketball programs made a statement Saturday at the Big City Showdown, with both the boys and girls teams defeating top-5 5A opponents on the road at Coronado High School.
The Gaels boys, ranked No. 4 in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Class 5A poll, held off No. 3 Coronado 62-58 in a game that came down to the final seconds. Ty Johnson scored a game-high 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and was named MVP. Dino Roberts added 10 points and Braylen Williams chipped in 13.
Gorman led 51-41 with just over five minutes left after a Roberts layup, but Coronado stormed back with an 8-0 run. Demari Hunter’s layup cut the deficit to 55-53 with 2:50 remaining. The Cougars had a chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute, trailing 60-58 with eight seconds left, but Jonny Collins missed a 3-pointer and Gorman secured the rebound. Johnson then made two free throws to seal the win.
“It’s been a great rivalry,” Gorman boys coach Grant Rice said. “Student sections are both great, they always show out. I was proud of our guys, just a fun night.”
Munir Greg led Coronado with 22 points. Missouri State commit Amare Oba scored 16 and DeVaughn Dorrough added 10.
The Gorman girls, ranked No. 1 in the Review-Journal’s 5A poll and No. 5 nationally by MaxPreps, delivered a stunning 91-54 rout of No. 3 Centennial. Texas commit Aaliah Spaight poured in 30 points, showcasing her full offensive arsenal with stepback 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers and post moves. Taylor Scandrick added 22 points off the bench as the Gaels made 12 3-pointers as a team.
“We practice extremely hard,” Gorman girls coach Sheryl Krmpotich said. “Our master plan, they did to a T. I’m proud of the girls. They executed exactly what we wanted. We played tougher and we played smart.”
Centennial’s Nation Williams led her team with 18 points, but the Bulldogs had no answer for Gorman’s depth and defensive pressure.
“Every game, we’re getting better. Every quarter we get better,” Krmpotich added. “We still haven’t put four quarters together yet. We want to do that in February.”
The Big City Showdown also featured a tight battle between Liberty and Desert Pines. Liberty, ranked No. 1, held off No. 5 Desert Pines 67-66 after leading by 21 points early in the third quarter. Tyus Thomas scored 15 points for the Patriots (13-5, 2-0 5A Southern League).
