Kalishman’s buzzer-beater lifts Bosque over Cottonwood

Luca Kalishman is keenly aware of what he can — and can’t — do.

Case in point: At the end of Bosque School’s practices, the Bobcats line up and shoot half-court shots, one-by-one. Practice isn’t formally over until somebody — anybody — makes one.

And for everything the explosive junior guard gives Bosque in games, Kalishman has yet to close out practice.

“I never make it,” he said Saturday night. “So, I went down and I’m like, ‘I gotta get a lay-in.’”

In the most pivotal moment of the Bobcats’ season, Kalishman did exactly that, taking the ball the length of the court and laying it in right before the buzzer to lead sixth-seeded Bosque to a 43-41 win over No. 11 Cottonwood Classical Prep in the opening round of the boys Class 3A tournament.

Kalishman led the Bobcats (18-10) with 13 points in a grinding, physical game that seemed destined for overtime after Cottonwood’s Ayden Skeets’ 3-pointer tied it at 41 with a little under 10 seconds left in regulation.

But Bosque head coach Gerard Garcia didn’t call a timeout. In the event Cottonwood scored, Garcia said he wanted his team to push it to catch the Coyotes on their heels. Worst case, it’d go to overtime.

Best case? They’d find a lane to the basket in the manner Kalishman did, kicking off a raucous celebration that held an extra edge for Bosque’s players and coaches.

Clifton Davidson, the Bobcats’ longtime head coach, was dismissed by the school in February, shocking players, coaches and even Bosque’s athletic director. The Bobcats’ ninth-year head coach told the Journal last month that he was terminated due to undisclosed allegations from parents around the program.

Garcia, who previously served as the interim head coach at St. Michael’s, was promoted to lead the program in Davidson’s place. In light of the circumstances, Garcia admitted Saturday’s win meant a little more — especially with Davidson sitting directly across from Bosque’s bench Saturday night.

“This is coach Davidson’s program,” he said. “He built this program from the ground up. These guys have been playing the way they play because of coach Davidson.”

“We were doing this for (Davidson),” Kalishman added. “We didn’t have a say. We love coach to death.”

Bo Lobaina led Cottonwood (17-11) with 13 points in its final game of the season, the school's most successful in recent memory.

Sean Reider covers college football and other sports for the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.