On Jan. 10th, Bishop Gorman had a chance to avenge their loss in the state semifinals against Durango.

The tension between the two teams remained, though both teams look different from last year. Both teams lost numerous starters and gained multiple new players.

The rankings on MaxPreps placed Bishop Gorman at #2 in the state, behind only their rival, the Liberty Patriots. Durango had dropped entirely out of the top 25 after winning the state championship only last year.

Tyler Johnson ‘27 said, “the energy was lit. The whole team was fired up knowing everyone wanted us to lose, so we wanted to go out there and prove a point.”

With the energy high, anticipation ever present, and a vengeful Bishop Gorman team ready to knock off the defending state champions, the game was about to begin. Bishop Gorman got off to a fast start with two quick points from Noah Westbrook ‘24. Ryder Elisaldez ’24 and Jett Washington ‘26 led the way defensively, causing havoc and forcing multiple turnovers. Bishop Gorman followed suit, leading 25-13 to end the first quarter.

Ilan Nikolov ‘24 came alive in the second quarter, with eight straight points, helping Bishop Gorman begin the second quarter on an 11-0 run. They closed out the half leading 43-22.

After the 10 minute half-time, the Gaels rushed out to a 16-3 start the second half, and the lead ballooned to 38 with a 64-26 score at the end of the third quarter.
Senior Trent Wilson going for a layup

The final score was 74-40, and Bishop Gorman successfully avenged their heartbreaking loss from last year.

Johnson said, “The mood after the game was really hype. We knew we had to handle business and we did, but we still have a lot of work to do, the job is not finished.”

Since the game Bishop Gorman has beaten Desert Pines (75-59), and the #3 ranked team in Nevada, the Arbor View Aggies (65-57), but at the Big City Showcase, their win streak of 3 got snapped by Coronado, losing 63-74.