BE headed to sixth straight Lower State Title

DILLON — Things were going so well for Dillon in the beginning it couldn’t possibly have imagined it would all end so poorly. Bishop England secured its sixth consecutive Lower State championship bid with a 38-27 win at Dillon on Monday. The three-time defending state champion Lady Bishops will face Ridgeland-Hardeeville for the Class AAA Lower State title Saturday in Florence. “You can appreciate it because we really had to earn our way,” Bishop England coach Paul Runey said. “We weren’t playing all that well tonight, but we never stopped playing hard. We weathered the storm and when we had to make the plays we did. I guess it’s one of the lower scoring games I can remember us having, but it’s one of the more memorable.” Bishop England’s 37 points are its fewest scored in any playoff win since 2008. Most of the Bishops’ postseason wins during their recent title reign have been high-scoring affairs; Dillon knows this to be true. It’s the fourth straight year that Bishop England has eliminated Dillon from the postseason, the previous three coming in later rounds on way to state titles. In the early stages of Monday’s matchup, though, it finally seemed as if Dillon was in position to exact a sliver of revenge. Bishop England was reeling in the opening minutes, overwhelmed by Dillon’s physicality and athleticism. The Wildcats were pounding the Bishops on the glass and repeatedly beating them down the court on way to a four-point lead by the end of the first quarter. But Runey and the Bishops adapted masterfully. Bishop England began attacking Dillon immediately off defensive rebounds to stifle the Wildcats’ fast-break offense before it could begin. After ringing up 17 points in the first quarter, Dillon sputtered to just 10 through the next three quarters combined. Dillon entered averaging 59 points per game but suddenly fizzled to its lowest scoring affair since 2012. The Wildcats were shooting 46 percent from the field this season but connected on just 18 percent on Monday. All-state guard Khamele Manning was allowed just seven points after averaging 19 through the first two rounds of the playoffs. “Once we slowed down their offense, it forced them to hit the big shot and they just couldn’t,” Runey said. “They were holding the ball looking for something. Credit our defense. There weren’t a lot of opportunities, but when there were they couldn’t take advantage.” Dillon entered the fourth quarter with a two-point lead, 26-24, before being outscored 14-1 through the final eight minutes. Bishops all-state senior Rhetta Moore came alive with 10 of her game-high 16 points in the fourth to ignite a final push that Dillon couldn’t match. Moore attacked the lane time and again, floating shot after shot high over the outstretched reach of the Wildcats. Allie Tucker and Christine Egede both finished with eight points while Josie Dennis pulled down 10 rebounds for a Bishops’ team that won the rebounding battle 40-26. “It came down to who could make the plays at the end of the game and we were fortunate to be able to make a few more than they did,” Runey said. “It’s a great feeling to see them win a game like this. Their confidence is high right now, and it should be, but they’re not satisfied yet.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bishop England High School Athletics

BE HEADED TO SIXTH STRAIGHT LOWER STATE TITLE

FRANKIE MANSFIELD

Moultrie News | 2/21/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Bishop England Athletics