In a battle between two Northern California's top teams, the Bishop O'Dowd Dragons wore down the Berkeley High Yellowjackets in the second half to win 67-37 in Berkeley. The game did not get out of hand until the third quarter when junior Yellowjacket Langston Morris-Walker suffered a concussion. The game featured five of the top 27 juniors in the NorCalPreps.com rankings and a few college level seniors.
In the first quarter, Dragon Brandon Ashley (NCP No. 1 2012 class) picked up two quick fouls in the first minute. The first points of the game were scored on a three pointer by Morris-Walker (NCP No. 4 2012 class). However, the Dragons went back door a few times to take a 10-5 lead. The Dragons had their twin towers of Ashley and Richard Longrus (NCP No. 2 2012 class) for the last minute as the quarter ended with O'Dowd leading 17-9.
O'Dowd was shooting the penalty with 6:19 left in the second quarter. The Dragons had their largest lead of the first half at 21-9. The Yellowjackets were missing too many open 3-point looks and were having trouble with O'Dowd's height advantage on both ends of the court. However, Berkeley was able to fight back to only trail 29-21 at the half.
The third quarter was highlighted by a dunk attempt by Morris-Walker on Ashley with 5:51 left. Ashley was able to block the dunk but he fouled Morris-Walker on the body follow through which caused Morris-Walker to slam his head. The game was delayed for five minutes as the junior Yellowjacket was helped off with them trailing 31-25. Morris-Walker returned after sitting for less than fifteen seconds and hit an uncanny 3-point shot to cut the lead to 31-28. But Morris-Walker was taken out of the game right after that and Berkeley was outscored 16-3 the rest of the quarter as the Dragons would be leading 47-31.
The Dragons limited Berkeley to six points in the fourth quarter as O'Dowd outscored the Yellowjackets 20-6. Many of the starters were pulled midway into the quarter as well. The game ended with O'Dowd winning 67-37.
How this game was won: The Dragons defense was stifling. Coach Doug Vierra has been pleased with his defense early this season. He mentioned that his defense reminds him of the UCLA team defense from last decade that had Arron Afflalo, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Josh Shipp.
Turning Point: Morris-Walker getting the concussion on the dunk foul. Berkeley has been gritty and has battled adversity well. But Morris-Walker was the Yellowjackets' biggest player and was at a severe size and emotional disadvantage after his departure.
Missing in Action: Coach Damion McNeil believes that Morris-Walker will be back for the 12/29 home game against Antioch. Suspended guard BT Shabazz missed his second game but McNeil expects him to be back in the next game. Transfer junior forward Henry Kerr is still recovering from wrist injury and also still has to get his transfer issues resolved before he can suit up. Forward Reggie Jackson is out for the season after he fractured his ankle against Castro Valley in their previous game. Center Akil Johnson will begin running on January 13 and McNeil is still hopeful for his return. Jalil Eppenger also had a bloodied nose and commented how he felt somewhat dizzy after getting hit in the head but does not believe it was a concussion. On a good note, McNeil confirmed that football player Jalen Rosales will be transitioning to basketball.
High Profile Game: The game was being viewed by Cal Head Coach Mike Montgomery, Kansas Head Coach Bill Self, and Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar. They were in attendance to view the three top 5 juniors in action. Kansas plays Cal today which was the reason for Self being in Berkeley. In addition, several other college coaches were in attendance to view O'Dowd's Terrence Daniel (NCP No. 22 2012 class), Berkeley's Trey Thompson (NCP No. 27 2012 class), and Eppenger.
Berkeley analysis: Morris-Walker had 13 points with three 3-pointers to lead Berkeley even though he missed most of the second half. The Yellowjackets normally accurate 3-point shooting was sorely missing. The team made only five 3-pointers and missed several open looks. In addition, the team had too many turnovers. Eppenger credits a solid Dragon effort but believes that the Yellowjackets will bounce back.
Bishop O'Dowd analysis: Juniors Ashley and Longrus had 14 and 11 points respectively. Longrus believes that size was the key difference in this game. He does not think the team has reached its potential but is getting there. Longrus has offers from Gonzaga and Santa Clara while Harvard, UNLV, and several Pac-10 schools are still in contact with him. Ashley, Longrus, and Daniel are all 6-foot-6 and taller. Coach Vierra believes the team has played solid transition defense and been good in rebounding. His offense has moments of solid execution but he is looking for more consistency and less turnovers.
What is next for Berkeley High: Berkeley, now 8-1, just needs to get its players back from injuries, suspension, or transfer process. When the entire team is there, the Yellowjackets have proven to be able to execute on both ends. If the core team is there, expect Berkeley to be the favorites in their league.
What is next for Bishop O'Dowd: At 5-1, the Dragons travel to Torrey Pines for the Holiday Classic. Their first opponent is Franklin High (Seattle) that features junior Anrio Adams who is a prolific scorer. Ironically, the Dragons play in the same bracket as Oakland High. If both O'Dowd and Oakland High have the same win or loss result in each of their first round game, the two East Bay schools could be playing against each other in the second round in San Diego. O'Dowd still has to play Sacramento High in the MLK Classic at Haas Pavilion.
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