Bishop LeBlond sweeps St. Joseph Christian in dominant doubleheader performance
By Calvin Silvers
High school winter sports are in full swing, and Tuesday night marked a big moment as Bishop LeBlond hosted the St. Joseph Christian Lions in a basketball doubleheader. Both teams were stepping outside of tournament play for the first time this season.
The girls’ matchup tipped off with the Golden Eagles establishing dominance early. LeBlond’s Rilyn Conrad took the first shot of the game, an outside attempt that missed, but Brensley Fox snagged the offensive rebound. Fox quickly turned the opportunity into points, assisting Ella Frazee, who finished a layup at the rim to get LeBlond on the board.
The Golden Eagles stayed aggressive on their next possession, looking for an open shot along the perimeter. The ball cycled through hands at the top of the key until it returned to Fox, who capitalized with a smooth three-pointer, giving LeBlond an early boost.
St. Joseph Christian struggled to find their footing offensively. Their first points came from the free-throw line midway through the quarter, while their first field goal was much harder to come by. It wasn’t until seven minutes into the game that Maddie Glise broke through with a floater following a Lions’ rebound. Despite the effort, LeBlond’s defense remained stifling, and the Golden Eagles ended the first quarter with a commanding 16-3 lead.
LeBlond’s dominance on the boards and quick ball movement set the tone early, and it continued into the second quarter and beyond.
The Golden Eagles’ offensive momentum carried into the second quarter, shifting their focus to outside shooting. Daisy Harshman kicked things off with a corner three-pointer, followed by Claire Heater sinking an identical shot from the same spot.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph Christian struggled offensively, managing just one field goal in the quarter. Persistent issues with rebounding, turnovers, and interior defense compounded their challenges. By halftime, the Lions trailed significantly as LeBlond’s efficiency on both ends secured a dominant 26-5 lead heading into the break.
The second half was a near-spitting image of the first. With the 50-11 victory, Bishop LeBlond moved to .500 on the season, moving to 2-2, while St. Joseph Christian fell to 2-3 overall.
The boys’ game offered a more competitive start. Jacob Winkelbauer’s size and effective outside shooting helped the Eagles edge an 11-9 lead early, but the Lions kept pace by attacking the basket and sinking threes.
The teams entered halftime tied at 23, but a lockdown defensive effort and consistent shooting propelled LeBlond to a commanding 61-36 win, completing the sweep.
