Defense has been what’s taken the Bishop Amat High School girls basketball program to its current lofty levels. And it was defense on Saturday night that punched the Lancers ticket into next week’s CIF-Southern Section Division 3A championship game at Anaheim Convention Center.
The Lancers got visiting Covina in a hole early then used their defense to never let the Colts dig out in a 46-32 win that has Amat on the verge of winning its fifth Southern Section title under head coach Richard Wiard. Amat will play Oak Park at a date to be determined next week.
“This is a very good feeling,” Wiard said. “It’s a great opportunity for the kids. We had a rough league season because we play some really good teams, but the kids persevered. They continue to improve and we’re playing some of our best basketball right now.”
The win improved Amat to 20-11. The Lancers are the division’s No. 3 seed despite being an at-large team. Covina, which was the division’s No. 2 seed, saw its dream season end a round short of where the Colts wanted to be. The Colts finished 25-4.