'No one outworks us': Poised, experienced Bishop Kenny ready for girls basketball finals
One visit to the final four. And another. And another.
It's been six consecutive years now, and by now, Bishop Kenny might feel like Lakeland's RP Funding Center is a home away from home. Except for one missing piece.
This week, just maybe, could change everything.
"The way we played against Rutherford, against Bolles, when we're playing defense like that, I think we can beat anybody," Crusaders head coach Will Mayer said. "We'll find ways to score, and a lot of times we'll score off our defense. When we're locked in defensively, we're pretty tough."
Jacksonville's reigning girls basketball dynasty, Bishop Kenny is still looking for its first championship trophy for three decades entering Thursday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A state semifinal against Miami Sports Leadership and Management.
The Crusaders own six consecutive FHSAA regional championships. But their most recent state title still dates back to 1992, the last of a three-in-a-row run under current principal Todd Orlando.
When the run started in 2019, the names leading the way were Jasmyne Roberts and Maddie Millar. Now, it's the turn of Clare Coyle, Sydney Roundtree and Riley Talbert.
Year after year, the torch is passed on. Will this year's Crusaders be the group to earn long-awaited title?
"I think we have all it takes to keep it going," senior guard Talbert said. "I just think if everyone continues to adapt to their role and play to their strengths, as a team we'll come together."
EXPERIENCE AND POISE SHINE FOR CRUSADERS
Bishop Kenny travels to Lakeland with seven seniors, three of them Division I-bound in Coyle (Furman), Roundtree (Air Force) and ace shooter Talbert (UAB), all of them ready to carry on that winning tradition.
"I learned a lot from Maddie, Jas, Sophia [Rueppell] and probably other teammates, role models on the team, how to be a team player and to lead by example," Roundtree said.
It translates to composure under pressure, and third-year coach Mayer has seen it pay off again and again.
"Our poise was the biggest factor," he said. "At Bolles [in the district final], we were down going into the fourth quarter of a rivalry game. A lot of teams would have been frazzled, but we showed great poise."
They're also excelling from the free-throw line, where four regulars shoot 75 percent or better, and in accurate, patient passing. Four Crusaders average more than two assists per game.
"We've all gotten so much comfortable with playing with each other and confident in our own roles," Talbert said. "If we're not having a good day [shooting] or we get beat on defense, we have confidence that our teammates will be behind us and pick us up."
DEFENSE IN SHUTDOWN MODE
The number that tells the story for Bishop Kenny: 32.3.
That's how many points, on average, they're allowing during the season. Even powers like Rutherford and Ribault haven't been able to top the 40-point mark against the Crusaders.
A defensive ace from day one of her freshman year, Coyle hasn't let up, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game. Add the interior presence of Abby Baker and freshman Makala DesJarlais, the versatility of Roundtree and the quick hands of point guard Reese Mayer, and the result is a nightmare for most opponents.
"It's just being super disciplined, following the game plan and communicating with teammates on the court," Coyle said. "Talking about what you're doing on the screens and how you're supposed to cover different players."
Old-fashioned athleticism helps, too.
In the frontcourt alone, Roundtree has cleared 5-4 in the high jump, while Coyle keeps making waves everywhere from the track to the swimming pool.
"I think we have the ability to switch a lot of things from 1 to 5," Mayer said. "Abby Baker is our 5, but she's probably the second-fastest person on our team, and we're able to switch a lot of screens, which gives people problems."
CHANGE OF PACE ON OFFENSE
With five consecutive regional championships, Bishop Kenny doesn't often catch opponents by surprise. But 2024 was the exception.
"The word on the street was that we were going to have trouble scoring," Mayer said. "So I think that motivated them a little bit."
No, they don't have a 20-points-per-game star like Roberts, or a prolific 3-point ace like Millar, both now in the NCAA ranks. But Coyle (13.9 points), Talbert (10.9 points) and promising freshman guard Kathleen Crawley (8.1 points, 41 percent from 3-point range) score more than enough to get the job done.
And they've got big-game experience. Lots of it.
"I feel like it definitely helps, just because we have so much young talent on the court this year," Coyle said. "So just being able to say I've been there and I know what it's like and it's OK to be nervous, having that experience for the younger ones helps."
One of those lessons: There's no such thing as an easy game in the final four. That's especially true this year against Miami Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM), a school that's already given the Crusaders a rough ride this year at the start of January.
"I feel like no one outworks us," Talbert said. "We've just really got to put it to the test on the court this weekend."
Class 4A girls basketball semifinal
Who: Bishop Kenny (25-4) vs. Miami Sports Leadership and Management (23-3).
When: 1 p.m. Thursday.
Where: RP Funding Center, Lakeland.
The skinny: Bishop Kenny has already played this matchup once before, and it didn't turn out favorably, a 53-36 loss to the Titans on Jan. 5. On average, Miami SLAM has won its games by a 22-point margin, paced by the scoring combination of Jim'Miyah Branton (14.1 points, 5.7 rebounds), Samantha Bautista (11.7 points) and Adaya Montalvo (10.9 points). Branton scored 22 points against Bishop Kenny in the previous matchup. Miami SLAM last qualified for the final four in 2019. The winner would play for the state championship at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Lake Highland Prep or St. Petersburg Lakewood.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Bishop Kenny girls basketball 2024: Crusaders in FHSAA final four
