Bishops’ comeback season closes shy of 7th state title

Bishop England High School girls’ basketball coach Paul Runey was still analyzing the actions that led to the Bishops’ 40-32 loss to Gray Collegiate Academy March 3 in the Class AA state championship game at University of South Carolina-Aiken, when he was asked about the finality of his long and successful tenure at the helm of the program.

 

Runey announced earlier in the season that he was calling it a career after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. A reporter asked the affable coach if he had given much thought to his retirement.

 

“I haven’t even thought about it,” said Runey, whose team turned a mediocre 6-7 start to begin the season, into something memorable that included the Bishops’ eighth trip to the state finals. “I have too much to think about the game.”

 

In hindsight, Runey knew that beating the War Eagles would be a tough task. Gray Collegiate had three players who topped the charts at 6 feet. And, he knew his team had stretches where it was tough to even buy a basket.

 

“If we had a stronger offense, the results might be different,” said Runey, whose team finished with a 19-12 record.

 

Runey also broke down the final minutes of the game when the Bishops cut the lead to two points. But the Bishops were called for a blocking foul when Runey thought it was a charge on the opponent.

 

But the Bishops used up all their rally magic. They managed to rally from a 12-point deficit against Andrew Jackson in the Lower State Championship to gain a 39-38 victory.

 

Gray Collegiate jumped out to a 10-2 lead at the end of the first period and that was the difference, although the Bishops showed mettle during the rally. The BE offense showed signs of life in the second period, but the Bishops went to the locker room at halftime on the wrong end of a 22-11 score.

 

“You can’t get down big against a quality team like Gray Collegiate,” Runey said. “We seem to have that one quarter where we go down and dig ourselves into a hole. This one was too deep to get out of, although the girls battled hard. It’s a tough way to lose.”

 

Gray Collegiate, coached by former USC basketball standout Brandon Wallace, finished the season with 10 consecutive victories to finish with a 22-6 record and its first state championship. War Eagles’ Jordan Mintz and Maliyah Mason shared scoring honors for the opposite team with 11 points apiece. 

 

All-state selection junior guard Izzy Woods led the Bishops with 11 points, all coming in the second half. Junior forward Madison Riley chipped in with 10 points. She scored eight of the Bishops’ first 11 points.

 

Woods scored some big baskets in the second half including a 3-point goal with less than two minutes left in the game to cut Gray’s lead to 32-30. But Kadence Walker Lee scored on a drive to the basket and was fouled on the play. 

 

The old-fashioned 3-point play ended the Bishops’ hopes for a seventh state title.