KERNERSVILLE – Bishop McGuinness found a way to counteract the size advantage Wilson Prep had inside.
The Villains played tough defense on one end, made shots on the other and ran past the Tigers 67-32 on Tuesday at Bishop in a meeting of two of the state's top girls basketball programs in recent years.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We're good when we run," Bishop coach Brian Robinson said. "Obviously we don't have the height to pound the ball inside. And we don't have that one girl like we've had the last couple years who can go out and get us 25, 30 points. So, we've got to get the ball in transition and create chances there. And I thought we did a nice job with that."
Claire Sullivan had 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Villains (3-1), who graduated all-time leading scorer Adelaide Jernigan but return a notable chunk from last year's team that reached the regional championship.
Jenna Moore, a Meredith College signee, followed with 16 points and three steals, while Laney Heafner added 11 points and five rebounds. Morgan Aho chipped in eight rebounds, three assists and five steals as Bishop forced 23 turnovers – leading to a 20-5 advantage in points.
"It was good. We definitely tried to do the things that we're good at, what we're practicing," said Sullivan, a senior guard. "We just tried to execute it, and it starts with defense."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Villains scored back-to-back baskets to end the first with a six-point cushion. Forcing tough shots and turnovers that led into offense, they closed the half on a 20-1 run to lead to 40-16 at halftime. Bishop extended its advantage to 30 in the third and 36 in the fourth.
"I think our press was working really well," Sullivan said. "We were all moving in synch together. And after that we could just push the ball, and that helped us get a lot of easier shots."
The Villains shot 42% – including 57% in the second quarter – while holding Wilson Prep to 24% – including 19% over the final three quarters. Sophomore guard Paris Best scored 13 points to lead the Tigers (1-1), who reached the third round last year. Senior forward Janiya Johnson added nine points.
Bishop will next play Thursday at Albemarle before visiting RJ Reynolds – coached by Robinson's former assistant TJ Eggers, who is assisted by former Villains player Caroline Deal – on Tuesday
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Having a balanced attack is great," Robinson said. "Obviously you'd love to have a player back like Adelaide. But when you have four or five who can score, it makes us a more dangerous team. If we just continue to grow and handle the little things like turnovers and rebounds, we'll be a really good team by the end of the season."
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