The Sacred Heart Valkyries and the Lawrence County Bulldogs faced off in the Girls’ Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament, with Sacred Heart basically dominating the game from start to finish. The final score was 70-33 in favor of Sacred Heart, and a deeper look into the major categories reveals the reasons behind the Valkyries’ impressive performance.
Shooting Percentage: Sacred Heart finished the game with an impressive 60.0% shooting percentage, making 30 of their 50 field goal attempts. This efficiency was a significant factor in their victory, as they consistently found the bottom of the basket and capitalized on their scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Lawrence County struggled with their shooting, finishing with a 25.0% shooting percentage and only making 12 of their 48 field goal attempts.
3-Point Shooting: Sacred Heart attempted 12 3-point shots and made four, resulting in a 33.3% 3-point shooting percentage. Lawrence County attempted 18 3-point shots but only made three, resulting in a 16.7% 3-point shooting percentage. Sacred Heart’s ability to make more of their attempts from beyond the arc gave them an additional scoring edge in the game.
Turnovers: Sacred Heart had only five turnovers in the game, while Lawrence County had 17. This discrepancy was indicative of Sacred Heart’s superior ball control and disciplined play throughout the game. Their ability to limit turnovers prevented Lawrence County from generating more scoring opportunities and kept the Valkyries in control of the game.
Rebounds: Despite Lawrence County’s higher total number of rebounds, with 33 compared to Sacred Heart’s 27, the Valkyries were more effective in their rebounding efforts. They had 23 defensive rebounds, compared to Lawrence County’s 19, and four offensive rebounds, compared to Lawrence County’s 14. This discrepancy in defensive rebounds was indicative of Sacred Heart’s ability to limit Lawrence County’s second-chance opportunities and control the game on the defensive end.
2nd Chance Points: Sacred Heart had only four second-chance points in the game, while Lawrence County had seven. However, the discrepancy in the number of attempts between the two teams indicates that Sacred Heart was more effective at converting their scoring opportunities than Lawrence County. Their ability to capitalize on their scoring chances and prevent Lawrence County from doing the same was a significant factor in the outcome of the game.
Points off Turnovers: Sacred Heart scored 21 points off turnovers, while Lawrence County only scored five. This statistic highlights the impact of turnovers on the game and shows how effectively Sacred Heart was able to capitalize on their opponent’s mistakes. Their ability to turn defense into offense gave them an additional scoring edge and helped them pull away from Lawrence County.
Top Scorers: Zakiya Johnson led the scoring for Sacred Heart with 21 points, while Reagan Bender added 24 and Angelina Pelayo contributed 14. Kensley Feltner led Lawrence County with 14 points, while Sophie Adkins added 11. The trio of Johnson, Bender, and Pelayo combined for 59 of Sacred Heart’s 70 points, highlighting their dominant performance on the offensive end.
Rebounders: Kensley Feltner led Lawrence County in rebounding with seven, while Sophie Adkins contributed eight. For Sacred Heart, Angelina Pelayo led the team with six rebounds, while Zakiya Johnson and Claire Russell each had five. Pelayo’s contributions on both ends of the court were instrumental in the Valkyries’ victory, as she was not only a top scorer but also a key rebounder for the team.
Sacred Heart will now face Owensboro Catholic who defeated Bowling Green 54-51
