At halftime O’Connell star senior guard Darius Bivins had played fine, scoring seven points, grabbing four rebounds, and registering a pair of assists. But his team trailed 31-24 to Bishop Ireton, and his team needed him to be better than fine.
Not only was Bivins better than fine in the second half, he was other-worldly. Bivins scored 26 second half points–20 in the fourth quarter alone–as host O’Connell rallied to defeat Ireton, 71-64.
“I couldn’t really make a three in the first half, he [O’Connell Coach Wootten] told me keep my confidence, I’m taking good shots,” said Bivins. “Keep my head, keep making the right play and the shots will come.”
Boy, did the shots come. In the second half. Bivins continuously attacked the rim at full speed, going 7-8 from two-point range in the second half. He also went 3-5 from beyond the arc after halftime, making it hard for the Ireton defense to sag on his drive.
In short Bivins, who finished with 33 points, was un-guardable.
We asked Bivins if he recalled a game where he scored so many points late.
“I don’t,” said Bivins, who is being highly recruited by scores of Division I programs. “I was just kind of in flow state, once I hit three in a row I was kind of in awe…it was definitely a good feeling to get back in my groove.”
O’Connell (4-1, 15-3) came out after halftime a different team after shooting only about 30% in the first half. First, the Knights ratcheted up the defensive intensity with O’Connell’s defenders becoming noticeably more physical. The Knights were sparked by Bivins on offense and also junior forward Jaron Rucker. When Rucker hit his second three-pointer of the third quarter, it completed an 18-5 Knights run to open the third.
Fortunately for Ireton (1-3, 11-5), star senior guard Silas Devonish got hot in the second half. Devonish hit five second half three-pointers, as the Cardinals kept pace with O’Connell. A Devonish three tied the game at 57 in the fourth quarter and O’Connell led by only two, 64-62, with a couple minutes left in the game.
Bivins then actually missed a shot, a three-pointer. Seconds later he made up for that by stealing the ball and taking it to the hoop for a bucket.
His onslaught was too much for Ireton to overcome. Devonish hit eight three-pointers in the contest and finished with 29 points, but it was not enough. Ireton guard-forward Jake Bahr was good as well, finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
Rucker added 17 points for O’Connell, which shot 63% from the field in the second half. But while team defense played a role in the win and the Knights’ bench outscored Ireton’s, make no mistake, Bivins stole the show on this night. Fans remain eager to see where he lands at the next level.
“I’m hoping to make a decision soon, I’m just taking my time,” said the point guard. “My agent and my dad are doing their due diligence and I’m just taking my time with it.”
-Chris Jollay