PLANO:  The Varsity Boys Basketball team hosted Bishop Lynch on Saturday night as both teams kicked off their 2020 district campaigns.  The Cardinals avenged their two losses to the Friars a season ago, defeating Bishop Lynch 71-59 on Future Cardinal Night.  

JPII and Bishop Lynch both started slow, but the Cardinals exploded in the back half of the first period, finishing with a 21-12 lead after one.  A close second quarter saw the Cardinals extend their lead by four, with a 44-31 advantage at halftime.  A tough, physical third quarter meant JPII padded their lead 59-41 heading into the final frame.  The Bishop Lynch comeback was stopped short in the fourth quarter, although the Friars outscored JPII 18-12 to make things interesting.  

The Cardinals relied heavily on the 3-ball once again, shooting 40% from deep on 10 of 25, while JPII's defense forced 27 Friar turnovers leading to a 24-16 advantage in points off turnovers, and an 18-8 advantage in transition buckets.  Junior Jaylon Tyson was JPII's top playmaker, logging 20 points on 8 of 19 shooting, snagging 5 rebounds and 4 steals on the night.  Seniors Nate Dominick (13 pts, 7 reb, 4 steals) and Jajuan Tot (12 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 2 steals) added to the offensive onslaught.  

Head Coach Dan Lee spoke about the Cardinals' performance in the district opener, "After a sluggish start I thought our kids responded well in a highly emotional atmosphere."

"Bishop Lynch fought hard to take the lead in the 2nd quarter and then we went on a 23-9 run to close out the half.  Nate Dominick, Jajuan Tot and Jaylon Tyson hit some big shots in that stretch to help us gain control of the game."

"There are definitely things we can do better but I was happy with our effort and result in notching a big win over the defending district champions."

The Cardinals stand at 27-1 overall and 1-0 in TAPPS play, and now turn their focus to a road matchup with district foe Prestonwood on Tuesday at 7:30pm.  

JPII vs. Bishop Lynch 1.11.20