St. Anne’s-Belfield girls basketball is such a fixture in the state final four, it’s easy to dismiss a state title game appearance as par for the course.
But the Saints’ 52-43 victory over Bishop Ireton Friday afternoon in the VISAA Division I semifinals at The Steward School and the run that got STAB here is anything but normal.
Not with what the Saints have been through in the last couple of weeks, altering course with the hand injury suffered by star guard Jayla Davis.
Not with sophomore Vanessa Woodfolk scoring all 10 of her points in the fourth quarter.
Not with Bri Tinsley willing the Saints to a win.
“We’re playing with house money without Jayla (Davis),” said STAB coach Phil Stinnie. “We had to change our style and we’re playing against a strong team in Bishop Ireton, especially with the power that they have inside. It was just a great win.”
Tinsley finished with 22 points while snagging five rebounds, nabbing six steals and dishing out four assists in another strong effort at the point. Tinsley has adapted quickly to the Saints new pacing and controlled the game yet again. She also got a big assist late from Vanessa Woodfolk’s explosive fourth quarter where the sophomore scored all 10 of her points on the night, blowing open a game deadlocked at 30-30 at the end of the third.
“Brianna and Vanessa Woodfolk took over in the fourth quarter,” Stinnie said. “(Woodfolk) hit a big three to put us ahead and we never looked back.”
Sierra Smith pulled down 15 rebounds and rejected four Bishop Ireton shots as well in a typically impressive defensive effort. Sophomore guard Jovia Winkey scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds.
The win vaults STAB into the state championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. at The Steward School against Paul VI, a rematch of the 2014 championship game when the N.K. Illang-led Saints lost to the Panthers.
“They’re the toast of the town, that’s the juggernaut and we’ve got to do our thing,” Stinnie said. “It’s a tough game, we’ve just got to compete.”
