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Bonner clamps down on Carroll in wire-to-wire win

01/17/2020, 11:45pm EST
By Josh Verlin


Donovan Rodriguez (above) complemented a stellar defensive effort with 23 points as Bonner downed Carroll. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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There was precisely one moment where Archbishop Carroll’s height gave Bonner-Prendergast problems: the opening tip. Without a starter over 6-foot-2, it was Bonner’s Tyreese Watson who had to head to the circle against Carroll junior center Anquan Hill, who had about a half-foot height advantage on the Friars’ starting point guard. As expected, Hill had no problem out-jumping Watson, flicking the ball easily back to his teammates. 

Nothing else about the game came easy for Carroll. 

“We came into the game knowing we were going to be outsized, but that’s how it’s going to be all league,” Watson said. “We’ve just got to use our toughness.”

The undersized Friars were relentless on defense from that first possession until well after the game was in hand. Though Hill was one of four Carroll starters taller than anybody in the Bonner lineup, the Friars didn’t let the Patriots take advantage of their height, putting immense pressure on the visiting guards all night long in an 81-62 win.

“This week, our coach [Kevin Funston] stressed it a lot,” senior guard Donovan Rodriguez said. “He made sure we played defense and get in the passing lanes and make teams not feel comfortable with the ball, and that was the plan for tonight.” 

Rodriguez’s effort on the defensive end of the floor set the tone for a Bonner side that was engaged, focused, and driven from the jump, grabbing six steals in the first quarter alone as they opened up a double-digit lead in the first six minutes and never let it get any closer. His arms and feet were constantly moving on every possession, getting up in his man’s face at every opportunity to prevent the ball from getting into the high or low post. 

Without any easy looks, Carroll was forced to settle for long two-point jump shots and contested 3s, when they weren’t turning the ball over against the relentless pressure.

A 6-1 wing guard nicknamed “Dada,” Rodriguez has been a contributor for Bonner since his freshman year, though it was as a sophomore that he saw his minutes take a strong uptick. That came as former head coach Jack Concannon convinced the athletic slasher to focus more of his intensity on the back end of the court, with former Friars like Isaiah Wong (University of Miami) and Tariq Ingraham (Wake Forest) providing plenty of scoring.

“He got in my ear, he was like ‘I see potential in you, I know you can do it and play defense,’ and had me guard big-time players,” Rodriguez said. “He saw the potential in me ever since then, so I just took it and ran with it.”

“He’s been a treat, man,” said Funston, an assistant under Concannon for four years before taking over the head coaching role in 2018-19. “From Day One when we got him...every day he shows up with a smile on his face and a hunger that you can’t teach.”

Rodriguez’s efforts weren’t limited to the defensive end against Carroll. He chipped in 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, one of three Friars to surpass the 20-point mark. Junior guard Malik Edwards complemented 25 points (10-13 FG, 4-6 FT) with four rebounds and three assists, while Watson stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3PT), 11 rebounds, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. 

Tyreese Watson (above, right) had 21 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals in an impressive all-around performance for Bonner. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

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The two starters who didn’t need to contribute much offensively, senior guards Oscar Udoma (four rebounds, four assists) and Connor Eagan (two steals, two assists) both found their way to make an impact; Eagan spent most of his energy face-guarding Carroll star wing John Camden, who scored 21 points but was constantly on the move to try to get free for his preferred style of scoring from beyond the arc.

“Connor...he’s our glue guy,” Rodriguez said. “He does all the dirty work, he hustles a lot, that builds energy.”

As a team, Bonner-Prendergast had 17 assists on 31 field goals, with seven different players collecting at least one dime.

“Just sharing the ball, because that’s when we’re at our best,” Rodriguez said. “When everybody’s touching the ball and cutting...that’s when we’re at our best.”

Bonner opened up a 19-7 lead after one quarter, and turned it into a 37-21 lead at the break. Without ever retiring to the locker room during intermission, Funston implored his team to come out of the third quarter just as strong as they had from the get-go –– and a 10-0 run to open the second half all but put the game out of reach.

By the time the defensive pressure relented in the last few minutes, with both teams enjoying some run-out layups in the closing 120 seconds, there was no doubt about who’d imposed their collective will in the 94-by-50. 

“I feel like we had them shook because of how tough we came out, how hot we came out,” Watson said. “We practice, every day...to try to be a four-quarter team. That’s what we have to keep working on.”

The win was a key one for Bonner (11-3, 5-2), which was coming off back-to-back losses against two Catholic League title contenders in Neumann-Goretti and Archbishop Wood, after beating another contender in Roman Catholic on Jan. 8.
It also did plenty to continue to muddle the PCL picture: there are now seven teams with two losses in the toughest league around, including Carroll (10-4, 5-2), who’s now dropped two straight after losing to Neumann-Goretti on Monday. 

The going won’t get any easier for Bonner, with a trip to St. Joe’s Prep on Monday, and two more two-loss teams in Cardinal O’Hara and Archbishop Ryan looming before the end of the month. Carroll has it even tougher, with Roman, Wood, Ryan, O’Hara, Prep and McDevitt all still remaining on the slate. 

“This league is so tough, for these kids, at this age, to have to be ready and armed to be on the ball and sharp every single game,” Funston said. “You have 16, 17-year-olds, you’re going to have some ups and downs.”

By Quarter
Bonner:    19 | 18 |  20 | 24 | 81

Carroll:      7 | 14  | 19  | 22 | 62

Shooting
Bonner: 31-58 FG, 6-12 3PT, 13-21 FT

Carroll: 23-59 FG, 10-32 3PT, 6-11 FT

Scoring
Bonner: Edwards 15, Rodriguez 23, Watson 21, Welde 6, Eagan 2, Udoma 2, Ruley 2

Carroll: Camden 21, Polk 11, Coleman-Newsome 11, Hill 7, Stewart 6, Ketner 4, Carter 4


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