Prep sports roundup: Ex-Country Day star Paopao wins World Cup gold; Bishop’s girls basketball coach retires

Former La Jolla Country Day School All-American Te-Hina Paopao helped the U.S. women’s U19 national basketball team to a gold medal this month at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup with a 70-52 win over Australia in the title game in Hungary.

The USA team went 7-0, and Paopao, who is starting her sophomore year at the University of Oregon, started all seven games. She finished the tournament averaging 9.1 points, 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals. She had a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio while shooting 40.7 percent from three-point range.

She is the second former La Jolla Country Day girls basketball player to bring home gold this summer.

Kelsey Plum, who played at the University of Washington and is currently with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, won gold in the 3-on-3 women’s competition at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Bishop’s coach Wells retires

Marlon Wells, girls basketball coach at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla the past 16 seasons, retired recently.

In 21 seasons at San Diego High and Bishop’s, Wells won 500 games, including going 30-4 in 2016-17 and 30-3 in 2008-09.

“Marlon has had an amazing career,” said Bishop’s Athletic Director Paula Conway. “He lives in Temecula and is very active in the club basketball scene. I think the travel and coaching was too much for him. I’m sure he’ll stay active on the club front.”

Conway said she was looking to name a replacement by the end of the month. ◆