The rivalry between Coronado and Bishop Gorman’s boys basketball teams has reached the point where every game is a thriller in the final minutes.
That’s what happened in last year’s Class 5A state championship game, when Gorman avenged a regular-season loss and defeated Coronado 63-60 for the title.
It happened again at Saturday’s Big City Showdown in the teams’ first meeting since the title game.
Despite trailing nearly the entire game, Coronado stayed within a few possessions, and the Cougars, No. 2 in the Review-Journal’s Class 5A rankings, battled back to claim a 62-56 home win over No. 1 Gorman late Saturday.
“This is what you look forward to all year and what kids dream of, being able to play the highest level while still at high school,” Coronado guard and UNLV commit Mason Abittan said. “We played against a good Gorman team. If we play hard, there’s nobody that can run with us, and that’s what we did tonight.
Abittan led Coronado (6-10, 4-1 5A Southern League) with 24 points and hit five 3-pointers, and Jalen St. Clair added 20 points for the Cougars.
Gorman’s largest lead was six points, three times in the second half, but the Gaels (13-4, 3-1) couldn’t stretch their advantage further. Nick Jefferson hit a 3 early in the fourth quarter to put the Gaels ahead 47-41.
Then Coronado answered with a 9-2 run to take a 50-49 lead after a Lantz Stephenson layup midway through the quarter. Stephenson delivered a 3-pointer on Coronado’s next possession to put the Cougars ahead 53-52, and they never gave the lead back.
“Everybody knows that (Gorman coach) Grant Rice and I don’t like each other – that’s a joke, we’re very good friends and business partners,” Coronado coach Jeff Kaufman said. “These games have always been good. … On the court, it’s a war, and it always turns out that way, and that celebrates basketball in the community. Gorman is what made us.”
Here are three takeaways from the game:
1. UNLV commit shines
Abittan hit four 3-pointers in the second half, but Kaufman credited the 6-foot-6-inch guard’s defense at the end of the game to keep Gorman’s shooting quiet.
The Gaels were without four-star football recruit Jett Washington and had limited scoring options inside. Ilan Nikolov hit three first-half 3-pointers to help the Gaels hold a 27-22 lead at the break.
But Abittan helped Coronado’s defense buckle down in the second half. Gorman made just four field goals in the fourth quarter, and Coronado outscored Gorman 24-12.
Abittan “did a pretty good job (defending),” Kaufman said. “In the second half, he really got to it and that’s going to make — we got to get him ready to go to the Rebels. But he can shoot it.”
Abittan scored 14 points in the second half. Three of his 3s in the second half helped Coronado cut the deficit back to one possession.
2. Football commit brings physicality
It would have been understandable if four-star football recruit JJ Buchanan decided to enroll early at Utah and not play this year. Fortunately for Coronado, he decided to play basketball one last time.
Buchanan only had two points, but grabbed 12 rebounds and played stellar defense inside.
“He knows his role,” Kaufman said. “JJ doesn’t need to score 25 points. JJ likes to rebound, and he likes to bang people. He’s been scoring, but he does what we need him to do. When we need a key rebound, it always seems to be in JJ’s hands.”
That’s what happened in the fourth quarter. Buchanan dove on the floor after a Gorman miss to secure possession, and St. Clair hit a 3-pointer to put Coronado up 56-52 with under three minutes to play.
“That’s my best friend since Day 1. We went to kindergarten together and played on my first basketball team with him,” Abittan said. “It’s just amazing to be back here and play with him. He’s a hell of a player. He’s so tough, physical, and he’s really the glue that holds all of us together.”
3. Still competitive 5A
Despite the win, Coronado won’t sit in first place in the 5A Southern League standings. On Friday night, Coronado lost at Centennial 70-56. It reaffirmed that 5A is still a grind every night, even for a Cougars team that is one of the most talented in the state.
“We knew we had it in us, you just get in that rut (of losing after playing a challenging nonconference schedule),” Kaufman said. “(Friday) night, we were excited about (Saturday) and not for that night. We disrespected Centennial, and they made us pay for it.”
Kaufman said he’s looking forward to a potential postseason rematch with Centennial, which has legendary girls coach Karen Weitz in her third season coaching both the boys and girls programs.
And if Coronado were to win its first state title, Kaufman would likely have to face Gorman again in the postseason.
“I want to roll through (the rest of the regular season), get a home playoff game and be ready to go at the end,” Kaufman said. “These early games, none of them matter. That’s why we play travel and don’t play anything in-state. I want to be playing very well in February. We’re not playing well yet. We played well tonight.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.