SURVIVE & ADVANCE

BE girls rebound, recover from early deficit to extend playoff run
If it’s February, the Bishop England High School girls’ basketball team must be making a deep playoff run.
 
The Bishops traveled to Bishopville Feb. 17 to battle Lee Central in the second round of the Class AA playoffs. The long trip might have made the Bishops a little sluggish as the hosts grabbed a 15-11 halftime lead. But BE coach Paul Runey’s squad rebounded and recovered to gain a 50-37 victory to advance to the Elite Eight.
 
“We scored four points in the first 45 seconds of the game,” Runey said. “We scored only seven points in the next 15 minutes of the first half.”
 
The Bishops exploded for 27 points in the third quarter and the offensive output was more than enough for the Bishops, who improved to 17-11. Lee Central, which had won seven of its last eight games, exited the playoff ramp with a 17-7 record.
 
“It was like a chess match,” Runey said. “The pace was very deliberate. We decided to come out with full-court pressure in the second half although I was afraid they might be able to get the ball down the court simply by throwing the ball over our heads. This was the tallest and biggest team we faced all year.”
 
The Bishops turned to their defense to create offense. It’s the same recipe the Bishops used to win six state championships from 2012-19. The Bishops made only two outside shots the entire game, but the defensive pressure led to easy layups and 26 free throw attempts. The Bishops cashed in on 20 of those attempts. 
 
The Bishops used balanced scoring as three players reached double figures. Izzy Woods led the winners with 15 points, Madison Riley scored 14 and Lilly Hodge chipped in with 10.
 
The Bishops were scheduled to play Timberland in the third round on Feb. 21. The two teams split in the regular season. The Bishops won at Timberland while the Wolves beat the Bishops at Father O’Brien Gymnasium.
 
The BE-Timberland winner will advance to the Lower State championship, which will be contested at the Florence Civic Center on Feb. 24. The Class AA state championship will be held March 3 at USC Aiken.
 
BE BOYS BOUNCED BY ANDREWS
 
Meanwhile, the Bishop boys turned out to be one-and-done as they dropped a 52-38 decision to Andrews Feb. 16 at Father O’Brien Gymnasium.
 
The Bishops entered the game as a No. 2 seed, while the Yellow Jackets checked in at No. 3.
 
The Bishops led 11-8 at the end of the first period, but Andrews warmed up in the second stanza to take a 20-19 halftime lead. The visitors built the lead to 36-27 after three stops.
 
Shard Sumpter led Andrews with 19 points, while Antwan Davis chipped in with 16.
 
Jack Van de Erve led the Bishops with 17 points. The junior finished the season with 370 points and an average of 14.8 points per game.
 
The Bishops closed with a 15-11 record. Andrews improved to 13-11 with the victory. 
 

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