Bishop Eustace's Giavanna Rogers (33) scores a layup against Eastern in the basketball game played at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, New Jersey on Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Collin Conway/D2 Sports Network
VOORHEES - Winners of four straight games, the Bishop Eustace girls' basketball team had its sight set on another victory.
The Crusaders accomplished their goal with an emphatic 50-30 victory over Olympic Conference rival Eastern on Tuesday.
Bishop Eustace exploded on offense from the opening tip. Within the first five minutes, each member of the starting five had scored a basket for the Crusaders.
At the half, Bishop Eustace held a 35-9 lead. The Crusaders teetered with a lead as marginal as 30 points in the third quarter before the dogs were called off.
Giavanna Rogers led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. She drained six three-pointers and made four of them in the second half. Freshman Angelina Pena tallied a team-high 10 rebounds and career-high seven blocks. Imani Dennis recorded her third straight game in double figures with 12 points.
Offense wasn't the only prominent factor into Bishop Eustace's dominance. The Crusaders swatted 13 blocks as a team.
Bishop Eustace coach Sal Racobaldo has implemented an offense focused on constant movement and space creation to find the perfect shot or attack the rim. His philosophy was on display in the win over Eastern.
"We want to always have moving parts," Racobaldo said. "I thought the girls did an excellent job executing the offense and also making the plays needed on defense as well."
Preparation was also a key part of the convincing win.
"It doesn't matter who we're playing, coach always tells us to practice how we play," Rogers said. "I think we're starting to see everything come together when it matters most."
Dennis can be counted on to grab rebounds and pick the pockets of opposing ball handlers at any end of the floor. She continued to showcase her versatility with a pair of rebounds, three assists, and two steals to complement her 12 points.
"I try to move the ball around a lot," Dennis said. "It not only opens up space for the rest of the team, it also helps me get open so I try and make the right moves when facilitating the offense."
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