Don’t bother checking the date of this article.

It’s March and the score is correct.

Using a stall offense, Bishop-Ward entered Friday’s girls semifinal substate basketball game with a simple gameplan — Tonganoxie can’t score if it doesn’t have the ball.

So with the ball near midcourt much of the game, the Cyclones milked the clock to perfection. Trailing 14-9 after the first quarter, Bishop-Ward stalled and stalled in the second quarter. Although the Cyclones couldn’t muster any points in the second stanza, Tonganoxie scored just two.

In the third, the roles were reversed as Bishop Ward outscored THS, 2-0.

When Tonganoxie did have possession of the ball, the Chieftains missed their share of shots, but THS scored just enough in the fourth to build a large enough cushion and secure a spot in Saturday’s finals against Sumner Academy. The Sabres blasted De Soto in Friday’s other semifinal game.

Tonganoxie increased the lead to 18-11, scoring the first points of the fourth with 3:28 left in the game.

THS senior then converted two old-fashioned three-pointers in the last three minutes as Tonganoxie escaped with the win. Earlier in the season, Tonganoxie defeated Ward by more than 20, but Friday’s game was a different story.

Other teams have slowed down the pace against Tonganoxie this, but nothing like Friday’s contest.

“I’ve seen it done before,” THS senior Laura Jeannin said. “But I’ve never been a part of it. But a win’s a win.”

As for Tonganoxie’s inability to make some open shots, Jeannin wasn’t concerned about that — or turning around to play an up-tempo Sumner team Saturday.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jeannin said about scoring just 24 points. “We saved them up for tomorrow night.”

Tonganoxie, now 20-2, will face a salty Sumner team that is one step behind THS at 19-3. The Sabres, who have faced some 5A squads in the metro area and in a midseason tournament, are led by standout junior guard Marisah Henderson