After losing their first basketball game of the season at a tournament in Texas, the Bishop O’Connell Knights have bounced back strongly.
The boys high-school team has won five straight contests, including two against conference rivals, and stands 5-1 overall.
The wins in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference were over the Good Counsel Falcons, 62-53, and St. Mary’s Ryken, 72-30, both on the road.
So far, O’Connell has played just one home game, defeating Dunbar of D.C., 65-31. The Knights went 1-1 in Texas and defeated host John Paul the Great, 74-32, in other outings.
In the win over Good Counsel, junior Darius Bivins scored 23 points, made three three-pointers and had six rebounds. Senior Wyatt Norton scored 16 with seven rebounds; senior Liam Koelsch had 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals; senior Shane Lincoln had five points and three assists; and sophomore Makel Minor made a three-pointer.
Against Ryken, Minor scored 14 and Koelsch 10.
Against Dunbar, Minor made four threes and scored 12, Bivins scored nine, Norton and Koelsch eight each, Justin Edwards scored six, Lincoln had five points and as many assists, and Christian Morrison scored five.
On Dec. 17-18, O’Connell plays in the Hoopfest in Paradise tournament in Nassau, Bahamas. From Dec. 27-30, the Knights participate in the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach.
