Eight Takeaways: Sacred Heart 62, Christian Academy-Louisville 59
The 1st and 2nd place teams in the 7th region went head to head on this cold Friday night. #10 Christian Academy-Louisville traveled to #1 Sacred Heart for an epic battle in front of a rowdy crowd. #1 Sacred Heart…
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Continue ReadingThe 1st and 2nd place teams in the 7th region went head to head on this cold Friday night. #10 Christian Academy-Louisville traveled to #1 Sacred Heart for an epic battle in front of a rowdy crowd. #1 Sacred Heart improves to 23-1 this season and has won their 15th straight. #10 Christian Academy-Louisville drops to 18-6 this season and their 4th loss in their last 5 games. CAL had a rough first quarter as they found themselves down 18-9. CAL ended up outscoring Sacred Heart in both the 2nd quarter and 3rd quarter by a total of 6 points. CAL fought back after the tough first quarter but fell short due to a 10-3 run that Sacred Heart finished off the game with. #1 Sacred Heart defeated #10 CAL, 62-59.
Eight Takeaways
Kristen Clemons (Sacred Heart)
The Belmont volleyball signee showcased her skills tonight against a very talented CAL team. She finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds. She was a true presence down-low with her great size and high basketball IQ. Sacred Heart dominated the glass as they out-rebounded CAL by 10. Kristen was fighting for the ball every chance she got. 5 of her 15 rebounds were offensive rebounds. Sacred Heart had 20 offensive rebounds as a team. Kristen was a huge help on the glass and for the Valkyries to walk away with the victory. She wins my Player of the Game.
Shelby Calhoun (CAL)
The Virginia Tech signee had an excellent performance against the top team in the state despite the loss. She finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Calhoun picked up her fourth foul with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter and she didn’t come back into the game till the 5-minute mark in the 4th quarter. Had she not picked up her fourth foul so early, CAL could have won this game. They still could have won with the help of her teammates while she was on the bench. She attacked the paint with force as she got to the line 8 times in the game and made 5 of them. Calhoun has to be at least mentioned when discussing Miss Kentucky Basketball. Heck of a player.
Destinee Marshall (Sacred Heart)
The Radford signee with another solid performance for Sacred Heart. She finished with 16 points, including 3 threes. She was scorching hot in the first quarter as she shot 4/5 from the field. All of her threes came in the first quarter as well. Her quickness and dribbling skills is what sets her aside from everyone else. She is quick off the dribble and can hurt you in many different ways. She can score from behind the arc, mid-range, or even penetrate inside the paint and finish with either hand. She has a great feel for the game and is the perfect point guard to run the show for the #1 team in Kentucky.
Mia Beam (CAL)
The Cornell signee was a huge part of this team coming back and sticking around with #1 Sacred Heart. She finished with 14 points, including 4 made threes. She has a really pretty stroke from behind the arc. She ignited the momentum for CAL and brought them within reach as they were down most of the game. She brings great intensity for this team when they are in desperate need of it. She has a whole lot of heart and you can just tell she really wants to win. That is exactly what you want in a player if you’re a coach. Great performance but even better effort for Mia.
Erin Toller (Sacred Heart)
The UK signee struggled the entire game. She only had 2 points heading into halftime and shot 1/11 from the field. She managed to finish with 13 points, including two really big threes towards the end of the game. Shots don’t always fall but Toller has a crazy amount of confidence to keep on shooting. With her excellent shooting ability she was going to keep on shooting and they were eventually going to fall. She managed to gather 9 rebounds and 7 of them happened to be offensive rebounds. She also dished out 5 assists to her teammates. The shots weren’t falling, so Toller decided to find other ways to get involved. Also, another player that has to be mentioned when discussing Miss Kentucky Basketball.
Jaya McClure (CAL)
The sophomore point guard was probably the most intriguing player on the court. A very young talented player that has great potential and one of the many reasons this CAL team has success. She finished with 14 points, including 3 threes. McClure doesn’t play like a sophomore at all. She plays like a veteran. Cool, calm, and composed. Not only can she shoot the ball but she has great vision and even better dribbling skills. She is a great floor general for her senior stars — Shelby Calhoun and Mia Beam. We are seeing a star in the making in McClure. One of the top sophomores in the state and she will continue to get better. Get familiar with the name — Jaya McClure.
Triniti Ralston (Sacred Heart)
The freshman guard is very exciting to watch. She is very explosive with the ball in her hands. She is tough physically and mentally. She plays great defense and is starting to come into her own offensively as well. She finished with 12 points, including 2 threes. She knows how to draw contact with her crazy speed and willingness to attack the paint. She went 4/7 from the free throw line. At times she can be a little out of control but she is only a freshman and will learn from those kinds of things. She has a very bright future ahead of her. Triniti Ralston is another very young talented player that you will want to keep an eye on. One of the most exciting freshmen in the state of Kentucky.
15th straight victory for Sacred Heart
The #1 team in the state continues to dominate. The Valkyries improve to 23-1 for the season, 15th straight victory, and extends their home-court winning streak to 45. Sacred Heart has all of the pieces. They showed tonight that when their star player Erin Toller is having an off-night, they can still manage to come out with the victory. They have the experience, talent, and depth. They can shoot the ball really well and rebound at a high level. They can hurt you in many ways, including with their suffocating defense. One of the most exciting teams to watch and I believe they will come out on top as the 2020 State Champions.