Lady Bishops relentless en route to Elite 8

Perhaps it was a pundit. Or maybe it was an ink-stained wretch or grizzled coach.
 
But whoever came up with the phrase, “the game wasn’t as close as the score indicated” would have been 100% correct in their assessment of Bishop England girls’ victory over Strom Thurmond High, in a girls’ Class AAA second-round basketball playoff game.
 
For the record, Bishop England posted a 49-25 victory Feb. 19 at Father O’Brien Gymnasium.
 
But in reality, this was over within the first couple of minutes. Bishop England led 18-0 at the end of the first quarter and increased the margin to 33-1 at halftime, as BE coach Paul Runey cleared the bench, substituting players early and often.
 
“I have never been in a playoff game where it was 33-1 at halftime. Score-wise, it was over early,” Runey said. “They have some talented players, but their shots wouldn’t go. We were able to run and make our shots because of our press and points off turnovers. They shot badly.” 
 
Ally Diminiak was one of eight BE players to enter the scoring column, and led the way with 14 points. Madison Riley added 12 points for the Bishops, who improved to 18-6 on the season. Strom Thurmond exited the playoffs with a 16-7 record.
 
The Bishops have saved their best basketball for the second half of the season. This conquest was their 11th consecutive victory and 13th in their last 14 games.
 
The Bishops were 2-0 at home in the playoffs with an 81-33 win over Manning in the first round. But now, they must travel to Loris on Feb. 24 for an Elite 8 showdown.
 
Loris has matched the Bishops down the stretch. The Lions also own an 11-game winning streak, and have won 12 of their last 13 contests.
 
“They are a lot like us,” Runey said. “They are not that big, but they are scrappy. They press a lot and get a lot of points off turnovers. It’s almost like looking in the mirror.”
 
The winner will advance to the Feb. 28 Lower State Championship, which will be contested at the Florence Center. The state championships will be held March 3-5 at the USC Aiken Convocation Center.
 
BE boys routed from playoffs
 
Meanwhile, the Bishop England boys traveled to Sumter to battle Lakewood in a first-round Class AAA game, and it appeared the Bishops left their offense at home. Lakewood posted a 49-19 victory to halt the Bishops season. Coach Bryan Grevey’s squad ended with a 14-13 record, while the winners improved to 16-9. 
 
Lakewood took a 12-3 lead after one quarter and led 27-13 at halftime. The Gators outscored BE 8-0 in the third quarter.
 
Senior Cole Alexander led the Bishops with seven points, hitting 50 percent from the field. He also collected a team-best five rebounds.
 
The loss was the lowest point total by the Bishops since losses to the old Charleston High School back during the 1948-49 season. Charleston beat the Bishops twice that season with 34-18 and 35-19 victories.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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