‘These girls are on a mission.’ Sacred Heart rolls to Girls’ Sweet 16 semis.
Sacred Heart’s basketball machine rolled on Friday night with a 71-47 win over Bethlehem in the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 quarterfinals at Rupp Arena.
The No. 1 Valkyries (29-7) controlled the game from the tip, running out to an 18-4 lead in the first quarter and never letting that advantage slip to less than 13 points the rest of the way against a Bethlehem team that was ranked No. 6 in the state at the end of the regular season by the Dave Cantrall Ratings.
The matchup also featured a showdown between two of the top juniors in the nation in Sacred Heart’s ZaKiyah Johnson and Bethlehem’s Leah Macy. Johnson led the Valkyries with 21 points and added five rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Macy struggled a bit offensively, but netted 13 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to go with five blocks.
“We’re really excited for all of these games, it doesn’t matter the matchup,” Johnson said. “This was a big win for us because I know a lot of people like to see me and Leah. … But we kind of just take it step by step and one by one, quarter by quarter. And we figure it out along the way.”
The victory gave Sacred Heart its 71st straight win against in-state competition as it tries for an unprecedented fourth straight Girls’ Sweet 16 tournament title and record eighth overall. The Valkyries know what’s at stake, coach Donna Moir said.
“These girls are on a mission,” Moir said. “They really want to be playing tomorrow night.
“We know we’re going to have a tough matchup tomorrow morning, but they’re just very focused, they’re very business-like on the court, but when they get off the court they love each other and they have fun. And that’s what makes it fun to coach.”
Bethlehem (28-8), the 5th Region champs for four straight seasons, featured four players who averaged scoring in double figures led by Macy. Sacred Heart’s game plan aimed to keep their defensive focus on all the Banshees’ threats and only double-team Macy if she put down a dribble, Moir said.
“They really played hard tonight,” Moir said. “They followed the game plan. … Our defensive scheme, they pulled it off great.”
Bethlehem made just 31.4 percent of its shots and was outscored 23-9 in the first quarter and 19-7 in the third. Tessa Miles scored 17 points for the Banshees. Carlie Thurmond added 12.
“I’m proud of my girls. They’ve had a fantastic season,” Bethlehem coach Jason Clark said. “I wish the outcome could have been better tonight.”
The Valkyries’ offense displayed remarkable efficiency as they dished out 27 assists on 30 made field goals.
“They were really pressuring Z (Johnson),” Moir said. “We got some really good looks and made some shots and it was fun.”
Freshman Amirah “Tootie” Jordan led Sacred Heart with eight assists to go with her five points. She had just two turnovers.
“I could do better always, but … that’s what it’s all about, passing the ball, teamwork and winning,” Jordan said.
Reagan Bender, Sacred Heart’s co-7th Region player of the year, scored 17 points, while Angelina Pelayo added 10. Claire Russell led the Valkyries in rebounds with 11.
Sacred Heart advanced to the state tournament semifinals for the fourth consecutive year and was to play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship game was to follow at 7:30 p.m.
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 9:42 PM.
