Lady Bishops suffer first loss of season
One bad quarter of basketball cost the Bishop England girls’ team its perfect season. But all is not lost. The Bishops should be in the hunt for a region title and - the ultimate prize - a state championship.
The Bishops competed in the annual Carolina Classic and aimed for a title in the Palmetto Division. But a St. Albans, W.Va. team outscored the Bishops 16-2 in the second quarter of the championship game enroute to a 45-39 victory on Dec. 29.
That’s the only blemish on the Bishops’ record. They defeated Wando after the tournament and opened up Region 8-AAA play with a victory over Hanahan.
The loss was a reminder that the Bishops must play 32 minutes of solid basketball.
“That was a game where we had some mental lapses,” coach Paul Runey said. “We just couldn’t put it in the basket. Could we have won the game? Yes. Should we have won the game? Yes. We just have to strive for more consistency. The kids are capable, but we just have to get things straightened out.”
The Bishops owned a 13-1 record heading into Tuesday’s region clash against Waccamaw. Runey never likes to lose, but pointed out the loss wasn’t in a crucial stretch of the 2018-19 season.
“It was a wake-up call more for the coaches than the players,” Runey said. “It shows what adjustments we have to make and what mistakes we must eliminate.”
Runey said the biggest challenges in region play should come from Academic Magnet and Manning. The Bishops pounded the Raptors in a holiday tournament game earlier this season, but expect a bigger challenge in region play.
“Academic Magnet is always solid with Bud Walpole (as its coach),” Runey said. “Manning looks like a team we will have some issues with. They have two fast guards and a big player inside. They are non-stop up and down the court whether they are up by two (points) or down by 22. They are all over the place. There will be no relaxation in that game.”
The Bishops average 62 points per game while holding foes to 32. Three Bishops average in double figures. Jahia Williams scores 10.3 points per game while Katie Brooks tallies 10.2 and Katie Cullum 10.1 points.
BISHOPS BOYS’ BASKETBALL
The Bishop boys’ basketball team also competed in a holiday tournament, traveling to Hilton Head to play in the three-day Seahawk Classic, which featured teams from Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina.
West Virginia state power Martinsburg beat Bishop England in the first round of the 32nd annual tourney and went on to win the championship.
The Bishops rebounded in the consolation bracket with a victory over Cumberland County, Tenn. The Bishops finished play in Hilton Head, dropping a 62-55 loss to Franklin, Ohio.
The Bishops opened Region 8-AAA play with a 60-52 victory over Hanahan but dropped a 47-41 decision to Wando the following day.
The Bishops owned a 7-5 record heading into Tuesday’s game against Waccamaw.