BE’s basketball score and stats served as an unplanned tribute to Kobe Bryant
The scoreboard at Bishop England’s Father O’Brien Gym turned out to be an impromptu tribute to the late, great Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following a Jan. 28 victory over Hanahan.
The scoreboard read “Bishop England 81, Hanahan 33.” The 81 matched the points Bryant once scored in a game, the second most in NBA history. The 33 represented the number Bryant wore as a high school phenom in Pennsylvania.
And the scoreboard also showed 8 team fouls: 8, which was one of two numbers Bryant wore as a member of the L.A. Lakers. Bryant’s other jersey number was 24, which was indicated on the scoreboard as the jersey number of the player who picked up the last foul of the game.
So, the fans who glanced at the scoreboard as they exited the gym saw 81, 33, 8 and 24.
“It was totally unplanned,” Bishop England coach Bryan Grevey said. “What are the chances? Slim at best. I get chill bumps just thinking about it.”
It was a memorable moment in an unforgettable season for the Bishops, who entered play this week with a 22-1 record, including 7-0 in Region 8-AAA play. The Bishops, who were the No. 2 team in Class AAA in the latest state coaches’ poll, were finally completely healthy for the first time since a Jan. 14 game against Waccamaw.
The team had survived the bumps and bruises of a long season, and bouts with the flu. The Bishops’ team battery was fully charged for conference play.
In the 48-point victory over the Hawks, Patrick Antonelli led the way with 19 points, four steals and 11 assists. Aidan McCool tallied 18 points and eight rebounds, while Thomas Michel collected 14 points and three steals. Finally, Daniel Brooks also scored in double figures with 13 points. He grabbed five rebounds.
It was more of the same in an 81-50 victory over Waccamaw on Jan. 31.
The Bishops were scheduled to play Academic Magnet on Tuesday. The Bishops already owned a 64-42 road victory over the Raptors. A win, with two region games left on the schedule, would mean the Bishops would have to beat either Georgetown or Manning to win the region title.
The Bishop England girls’ team also began the week with the No. 2 ranking in the state coaches’ poll. The Bishops also made it look easy, with a 70-25 victory over Hanahan High and an 81-34 drubbing of Waccamaw to improve to 14-7 overall, 7-0 in Region 8-AAA.
The Bishop girls were scheduled to play Magnet, a team that entered the game with a 1-19 record, on Tuesday. BE is in first place with a 7-0 record while Manning holds down second place with a 6-1 record.
The Philip Simmons girls’ team also is in the hunt for a title. The Iron Horses began the week tied with North Charleston for first place in Region 6-AA, with both teams sporting 5-1 league records. The Iron Horses were scheduled to play an Oceanside Collegiate team that was 5-13 on Tuesday. The Lady Iron Horses conclude the regular season on Feb. 11 with a league game against Timberland.
The Philip Simmons boys were 9-14 heading into competition this week, and were tied for fourth place in the region with a 1-5 record.