JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Bishop Kenny girls basketball team is headed back to the state championship game with a familiar face waiting on them.
The Crusaders hung on in the final minute to clip Sports Leadership and Management 46-43 in the Class 4A state semifinals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Next up is a rematch against a Lake Highland Prep dynasty that is seeking its fifth consecutive state title. The Highlanders (24-5) have beaten Kenny (26-4) for two of those championships, including last year. Those teams meet on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
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Kenny trailed 43-42 with 3 minutes, 1 second to play after the Titans erased an eight-point Crusaders lead.
But Kenny muscled up after that. The Crusaders didn’t allow a Titans point the rest of the way and came up big on offense.
Clare Coyle knocked down a layup on the ensuing possession, then added an insurance bucket with 10 seconds to play to sew up a tense victory. Coyle had 16 points to lead Kenny. Reese Mayer followed with nine points.
The Crusaders were making their sixth consecutive trip to the state semifinals and needed every ounce of resolve to fend off the Titans.